Now What?
by alate
Summary: What Steph gets into after EoT.
1. Chapter 1

They're not mine and I'm not making any money.

CHAPTER 1

"No, you will not 'bust a cap in his ass'," I stated firmly to Lula before we knocked on the skips door.

"But this guy's wily, ya know? He's gotten away three times…at least let me stun him."

"Look where you are," I said, sweeping my arm around to indicate our surroundings. "He lives in a retirement complex. You can't stun him, what if he has a pace maker or something?"

"Hunh, you think you'd learn to be more fun what with working with Batman and his crew of hotties," complained Lula.

"Nope, but that reminds me, I only get an hour for lunch so lets grab this guy," I said before Lula could fixate on 'Batman' before moving on to 'Supercop' since I wasn't ready to tell her it was over with me and 'Supercop'. Shit, I forgot I wasn't thinking about the _incident_. To sidetrack Lula, I asked how she wanted to do this. I knew how excited she got that she was in charge now.

Amazingly enough, once I got Lula focused on the job, the apprehension went smoothly. We were able to subdue the 76 year old skip, get him to the police station, and get him processed without mishap. We even did it in time to have me back at my desk five minutes before my lunch was over.

I had just enough time to grab a turkey sandwich in the break-room before facing my in-box which, regrettably, hadn't magically emptied in the time I was gone. I parked myself in my comfy, leather rolly chair and began flipping through the files. As expected most of them were from Rodriguez, but I found one for Tank and decided to start with that. It was the least I could do for getting him blown up, breaking his leg and stranding him. We had become friends since I was working at Rangeman and I wasn't afraid of him amymore, but I still felt bad about that stuff.

This was just a routine background check on a potential client to see what skeletons he had in his closet before Rangeman would do business with him. This may sound boring, but Rangeman has some clients that are interesting, to say the least, and ferreting out someone's deep, dark secrets is a national past time in the burg. Pair that with what the guys call my 'spidey sense' and some quasi legal computer programs and I'm excelling at a job I love.

I finished Tank's search, one for Lester, and three for Rodriguez when I felt the buzz of energy and the tingle on my neck that told me Ranger was nearby. Sure enough, moments later I felt a warm hand settle on the base of my neck.

"Babe."

"Yeah, Ranger," I replied, not looking up from the screen.

"It's seven o'clock, you should have gone home long ago. Wouldn't want to worry Morelli," he said with a slight grimace. Ranger knew Morelli got angry when I would work late, what he didn't know was that Morelli and I were over as of last week. For good this time.

"Not a problem anymore," I said in a low voice.

"Babe?"

"We broke up," I stated simply.

"Again?" was Ranger's light answer before he saw the tears that had filled my eyes when I remembered how it had ended. So much for not thinking about it. "Hey. Do you want to talk about it? Why don't you come up to the 7th floor for dinner?"

I had to ponder that for maybe half a second before agreeing. It really wasn't a hard decision. Ranger would have a delicious meal prepared by Ella, his wonderful housekeeper, while I would have a can of soup warmed in the microwave. All I had to do was confess my breakup with Morelli, and to be honest I knew I had to talk to someone. Ranger wouldn't press me for details and wouldn't pity me, so I figured he was as good as anyone.

"Okay," I said, taking the hand he offered to pull me out of my chair.

"I'll meet you up there in about 15, I need to check in with control. Can you call Ella and let her know to bring dinner for two?"

"Sure," I replied as we arrived at the elevator.

"Thanks, Babe. See you in a few," he said giving me a peck on the head that sent shivers to my toes and everywhere in between.

I climbed into the elevator and got a last glimpse of Ranger before the doors slid shut. I allowed myself a few moments to consider his amazing backside before I had to hit the little button on my key fob that would allow me access to the 7th floor

Once in the apartment I walked to the intercom and had a stare-down with it. I still wasn't quite comfortable using it or calling Ella for food.

"Hello?...Ella?" I finally asked timidly while holding down the key for the 6th floor.

"Yes?" answered Ella's soft voice.

"Oh. Hi. This is Stephanie," I blurted.

"Hello, dear. How can I help you?"

"Um…I'm having dinner with Ranger and he asked me to let you know…He'll be up here soon."

"Alright. Will dinner in a half an hour be good then?"

"Yes. That would be great," I said, suddenly relieved to have successfully ordered dinner.

"I'll bring it up then."

"Okay, thank you," and I let go of the button and told myself to breath in and out.

With that done, I settled into Ranger's extremely comfortable couch and must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew Ranger was gently shaking me awake.

"Babe, Ella just left dinner. Time to get up and eat."

"Mmmph," was all I could manage, as I pulled myself up off the couch.

"Come on," he said with a chuckle as he placed a hand on my waist to steer me to the kitchen. "Maybe you'll wake up when you see the surprise Ella sent."

"Surprise?" I asked as we got to the table and I saw a beautiful slice of chocolate cake. I love Ella.

"Seems Ella missed cooking for you."

"I've missed her cooking."

"Then lets eat. Then we can talk."

"If we must," I said, knowing Ranger would know I was only referring to the chat part.

"Babe."

After that we were silent for the remainder of the meal. Ranger was in his hyper observant zen state and I was trying really hard not to moan with every bite. Ella had made chicken beasts in a light cream and mushroom sauce, steamed green beans and some sort of funny rice. Now this is way more healthy than I normally like, but Ella is a food genius and it was too delicious not to eat.

Then came the cake, I took one bite and it was beyond decadent and I let out a soft moan. After the second bite, though, I was beginning to believe my mother's declaration that I was a recovered cakeaholic. I had this gorgeous slice of cake, but here I was eyeing the mixed fruit in front of Ranger. Finally, I reached out and snagged a strawberry then looked up to meet Ranger's eyes when I couldn't suppress a small moan. He just smiled and we slowly worked our way through the fruit.

"Babe?" he asked when we were done.

"Sorry," I said with an apologetic grin. "I guess I didn't tell you my mother declared me over my cake habit. It's been about two weeks since I've craved it at all."

"Who would have thought it?" he asked shaking his head. "Come on, Babe. Lets head to the living room."

"Alright," I agreed knowing there was no way out of this.

Once we were settled safely on opposite sides of the couch I looked over at Ranger to see him patiently waiting for me to start in with my story. Okay, I thought taking a deep breath, might as well start at the beginning.

"Well, I should probably start this three weeks ago," I said, pausing to give Ranger a moment to realize what three weeks ago was.

"The Stiva thing?" he asked.

"Yeah, things really went downhill from there," I began in a flat voice. "That night Joe and I had a huge fight with the normal, we yelled, cursed, and traded Italian hand gestures and eventually calling it quits for the night. The next morning things were tense, to put it mildly. We both went off to work and when I got back to the house he was there and we were just gearing up for round two when his pager went off. A break had come through on a case he was working with the Philly PD and he had to go out of town…that night. The next morning was Saturday, and I took the opportunity to move back to my apartment. Two weeks went by without a call from Joe and then he showed up at my door."

Here I stopped for another deep breath and looked up at Ranger, he hadn't interrupted and had been watching me intently. He seemed to know that the hard part of the story was coming and reached out and pulled me onto his lap to wait for me to continue.

"I had a fresh bruise on my jaw from sparring with Tank earlier in the day and Morelli took one look at me and said 'what the Hell happened to your face' so I told him I was getting self defense lessons and he just asked when I was ever going to give up. I yelled that it wasn't going to happen and then he said something about coming to his senses. I asked what he meant by that. That's when he told me he met someone else while he was in Philly."

I had to stop here and take another break. I felt Ranger's arms tighten around my middle and I snuggled into his chest taking comfort in his warmth. One more deep breath and I knew I could finish the story.

"He told me we were over. He doesn't want to see me any more, not even as friends, so he can be with her. Her father and brother are both cops, so she'll get that he's the job. On top of that, she's perfect apparently and he's transferring there to be near her. She wants a family, her family is Italian, and she's a freaking Home Ec teacher. She's everything he always wanted me to be," and this was where I broke into wrenching sobs, crying tears I hadn't let fall since Morelli told me his news.

"Shhhh, Babe. It's gonna be alright," Ranger said holding me to his chest.

"I know," I sobbed. "I'd figured we weren't going to work, but the way he ended it hurt more than I thought it would. I haven't told anyone else, all the Burg knows is we had another fight and I doubt Joe's had the balls to tell anyone yet."

"He's an idiot, Babe. I'm just sorry it took me a week to see that you're hurting. You're doing great, not letting what he did throw off your life, but you didn't have to do it alone."

"I just didn't want to tell anyone, they'd all be sorry for me. Everyone thought Joe was my last hope for a normal relationship. I wish they would realize I don't even want that 'normal' relationship. Now, I'm just glad I didn't let Joe trap me into it."

"Proud of you, Babe," Ranger murmured into my hair as he continued to hold me close.

We stayed like that as Ranger waited for the remainder of my tears to dry up. I may not regret the ending of my relationship with Joe, but the way he chose to end it sure hurt like Hell. I felt so unwanted and I hated that first Dickie and now Joe had made me feel that way. It meant a lot to me right then to hear Ranger tell me he was proud of me, so I snuggled in and enjoyed the feeling of him.

The next thing I knew I was waking up with my bed moving. Closer inspection showed that it was actually Ranger moving and we were still on the couch with me curled up against his chest.

"Hmmm?" I asked.

"Morning, Babe," came the soft reply into my hair.

"What time is it?" I mumbled, wondering when it had become morning.

"Five."

"Ungh," I said burrowing my head into his shoulder and trying to go back to sleep.

"Babe, I gotta get up and go for a run. Feel free to go back to sleep and I'll order breakfast when I get back."

"Mmmm," was all I could manage before I felt Ranger lifting me and then settling me back on the couch after freeing himself.

I let myself drift back into a deep sleep, snuggling my face into a Ranger scented pillow. I came awake again to a soft shaking of my shoulder and noticed the smell of Bulgari had gotten stronger. I figured Ranger was back and waking me up for breakfast, so I decided to open my eyes.

"Morning again, Babe."

"Morning?" I said.

"Eight o'clock," Ranger replied with a smile, knowing I was asking if it was my definition of morning yet.

"Mmmkay," I managed, as I pulled myself to a sitting position.

"Why don't you head to the bathroom and by the time you're out breakfast will be here."

"That sounds good," I said with a sleepy smile, and headed for Ranger's amazing bathroom.

For having spent the night with Ranger I was amazingly calm. All we had done was sleep, cuddled up on the couch, but normally that kind of nearness to Ranger would have left me all flustered. Well, I thought with satisfaction, at least now I don't have to worry about Morelli guilt when I have a Ranger induced lust attack. Thoughts of Morelli offered an excuse for denial, I was just getting more comfortable with Ranger. He was still a badass and dangerous, but I was coming to accept that and as I did my fear of him disappeared.

Stepping into the shower my mind flashed back to the night Morelli ended things between us. My talk with Ranger seemed to have opened a floodgate and all of the pain I had holed up for a week was coming out. I started sobbing in the shower, glad no one could hear me, as I replayed the conversation.

"_Uh oh," I said to myself, when I looked through my peephole to see a pissed off looking Joe Morelli. "Guess he wants to pick up where we left off."_

"_Joe," I said opening the door._

"_What the hell happened to your face?" he bit out when he saw me, not bothering with a hello._

"_Sparring," I said simply. "I started self defense training at Rangeman."_

"_Shit. You mean you're really still doing that?"_

"_Yes, Joe," I said, trying to answer calmly. "I told you I wasn't quitting."_

"_Well, at least now I don't have to feel bad about finally coming to my senses then."_

"_What are you talking about?" I asked, getting a sinking feeling in my stomach._

"_I met someone else while in Philly," he said. "And I'm transferring there."_

"_What," I choked out, not sure I had heard him correctly._

"_Steph, try not to freak out over this. We weren't working. You want to be the walking disaster known as the Bombshell Bounty Hunter. Jen wants the same things I do," he said with a small smile growing on his lips. "She wants a family and a home. Plus she's a nice Italian Catholic girl who actually goes to mass and she's a Home Ec teacher. She wants to be a housewife and she'll get along my mother and Grandma Bella better than you ever did." _

_I just stared at Joe for a long moment trying to comprehend what he had just told me. I felt like I was in shock when all of a sudden it hit me that he was ending us for good. I felt numb, like I had been dunked in ice water._

"_Okay Joe," I said in a deceptively composed voice. "I get that you met some great girl, you don't have to rationalize it to me. Enjoy Philly; I guess I'll see you around. Can you show yourself to the door? I'm going to bed."_

"_No, Steph," he said when I had turned my back to him. "You won't be seeing me. I think it's best if we don't see each other at all. Not even as friends. Goodbye Stephanie."_

_With that he walked out of my apartment and I went to bed like I had said. By making use of my talent for denial I fell quickly asleep, woke the next morning and continued in my routine as if nothing had happened. I hadn't seen him since. _

And the denial had been going great, I thought, until Ranger had to go and break through the walls I had put up to pretend everything was okay. What am I going to do now?

I knew I had to accept what Joe did and I was finding that easier than I thought possible. For now I decided to enjoy Ranger's shower gel and amazing shower then go have a wonderful breakfast prepared by Ella with the one man, besides my father, I know I can count on.

With that settled on I lathered up one more time with Bulgari gel before climbing out of the shower. It only took a minute to brush my teeth with a new tooth brush I found on the sink and run some gel through my hair. I figured I had enough makeup in my purse to do a decent job on my face. I walked into Ranger's closet and grabbed the Rangeman uniform I had there and was ready for the day.

"Babe," Ranger said without looking up from the file he was reading as I walked into the kitchen.

"Ranger," I said, plopping myself on a stool and snagging a bagel and some cream cheese. The routine was surprisingly comfortable, considering I had only ever lived _with_ him for a few days.

"How you feeling today?" he asked, putting the file aside.

"Okay. Better now that I let the feelings over Joe out."

"That's good. I talked to your boss, and he says it's okay if you take the day," Ranger said with his half smile.

"Can you tell him I'll be okay working? I talked with a good friend and I'm feeling better than I did all last week."

"Can do," he replied with a full smile this time.

"Thanks."

Twenty minutes later Ranger and I were in the elevator on our way to the control room. I was standing a safe distance from him, thinking we had already given the guys enough free shows thanks to the cameras all over the office when I had a thought.

"Shit!"

"What, Babe?" Ranger asked with a note of concern.

"Just realized how this looks."

"How's that?" he asked, with a hint of the wolf grin now.

"Ranger!"

"It'll be okay. All that happened was dinner and you fell asleep on my couch."

"I fell asleep on you."

"True, but still on the couch," he said, before mumbling something.

"What's that?" I asked. Ranger never mumbles.

"I said 'the guys already had their fun with me when I came back from my run'."

"Oh," was all I could manage before the elevator doors slid open.

Ranger and I went in separate directions, him to his office and me to my cubicle. I settled in at my desk and had worked my way through three searches when Bobby came by to drop off a new search.

"Hey, Bomber," he said.

"Hi, Bobby."

"Can you have that back to me by three?" he asked.

"Sure."

"So…you and the boss…," he said with a grin.

"Bobby" I groaned, the guys had already gotten to Ranger, but I knew it had been too good to be true that there would be no teasing. Now I just had to pray that I didn't hear about any bets about what had taken place.

"Don't worry, Bombshell. We know nothing happened," Bobby said calmingly, apparently knowing where my thoughts had turned. "None of the guys but Tank, Lester and I would say anything and I'm pretty sure none of them are stupid enough to bet on Ranger."

"Thanks Bobby," I said, glad I didn't have to worry about that. Lately, I found myself forgetting that Ranger's pretty scary and even the guys working here thought so.

Later, Bomber," I hear and Bobby was gone.

Then I was back to work…for about ten minutes. I decided I needed a snack, that's why I couldn't concentrate. I headed to the break room and found Ranger and Tank in badass mode, looking like they were all ready for a takedown.

"Babe."

"Bombshell."

"Hey, Ranger, Tank," I replied to their greetings. "You going after some bad guys?"

"Yep. Oliver Fellows," Ranger answered as they started out of the room.

"Try not to get shot," I said, to let Ranger know to be careful.

"Will do. Try not to get too crazy," he said when he got to where I was standing and gave one of my curls a tug.

Then they were gone and I headed back to my desk with my apple and water bottle. I really had been spending too much time here, I decided, looking down at my chosen snack.

After that the day flew by. Before I knew it I heard a grumble from my stomach and looked at the clock to see it was 5:30 and decided to head home. I hadn't seen Ranger since my snack, but it wasn't unusual for him to spend the day in the field. Packing up my desk I made sure to grab my gun as I shut down my computer and headed to the elevator.

Once back at my building I parked next to the dumpster and debated the stairs, thinking I didn't get enough exercise sitting behind a desk but decided on the elevator instead. On the ride to the second floor I overheard bad news from two of my senior neighbors.

"So, where are you moving?" Mrs. King was asking.

"My kids are putting me in a retirement home," Mr. Woleski answered sadly.

"That's too bad. Seems a bunch of people are ending up there now that this building's being made into offices."

"Yeah, and only giving us a month warning that they're kicking us out," Mr. Woleski said shaking his head.

My brain was whirling when the elevator doors opened and I hurried into my apartment. I remembered a letter coming from the building management, but I had thrown it on my pile of things to deal with, assuming it was about the yearly renewal of my. Looking at the letter however, I saw that it was really notifying all tenants that the building was being converted into an office building and that all tenants had to be out by the end of the month. Shit! That's only six days, I thought.

I was in the first stages of panic when my stomach rumbled again and I knew I couldn't do anything on an empty stomach. Once I had eaten I felt better, I was no longer in shock and I could think about what to do now. With that in mind I lay down on my bed in my thinking position, but thinking turned into sleeping before I came to any conclusions.

This is my first story, so any feedback is more than welcome…


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The next thing I knew I was slapping at the alarm that was buzzing by my head. I rolled over to check what time I had set it for and groaned when I saw it was ten after eight. That only gave me a little over half an hour before I had to leave for work. Oh well, I thought as I hauled myself out of bed and into the shower. Guess that means I have to put off the housing problem a little longer.

At nine on the dot I was strolling out of the elevator towards my desk thinking that the commute from the 7th floor gave me more time to sleep and/or get ready when an idea hit me. I remembered that Ranger had a bunch of apartments on the 4th floor for Rangeman employees, I should ask him if any of them are available. Yeah, I thought, I'll do that as soon as I see him.

Suddenly in a better mood I headed for the break room to get my morning coffee before tackling the load of searches I knew the ex-military, early-morning freaks had left me. I was just waiting for the search to run on Harold Wildfell when I took my first sip of coffee. It made it about half way to my stomach when it came back up and I felt like the pop-tart I had at my apartment was going to join it, so I scrambled to the bathroom. I spent the next ten minutes hunched over a toilet fighting intense nausea before I felt good enough to go back to my desk and get back to work.

Once seated again, I pushed the offending coffee away and began compiling the information on Harold. It seems he caught his wife and twin brother having an affair and decided to end it by killing them both with a lamp he used as a club. Nope, don't miss those psychos at all.

Two hours later, I was done with the urgent files and a few of the others when I felt a tingle on my neck that announced Ranger.

"Babe," I heard just as expected when the tingle had run down my spine.

"Hey, Ranger," I said, turning to find him leaning against the wall of my cubicle.

"What's with the coffee?" he asked, indicating the cup of now cold coffee that had been banished to the far back corner of my desk.

I related to him the incident I had had when trying to drink it earlier and got a half smile.

"Other than that, how are you doing?" he asked. I assumed he was referring to the Joe thing, but I had dealt with that in my own way…denial, repression, breakdown, move on. I did decide that this was a good opportunity to bring up my current living arrangements.

"Not sure. Do you still have any apartments available on the 4th floor?"

"Babe?" he asked, clearly confused by where I had gone with that, so I explained my current housing problem. "So that would leave you about a week to find somewhere to live," he said.

"Yeah, actually it's six days."

"I'll check into the status of the fourth floor and get back to you this afternoon."

"Thanks Ranger," I said with a smile and got a tug on a wayward curl before Ranger disappeared.

I went back to my searches and had gotten through about three when Lester knocked on my wall.

"Hey, Bomber. You might want to get lunch. You have an appointment with me at the gun range in half an hour and defense lessons with Tank after that."

"Ungh," I groaned thunking my head on the desk. I had forgotten it was one of _those _days. How had I let Ranger talk me into three defense and gun lessons a week?...Oh yeah, he had tricked me, kissing me until I forgot my name then asking me to have the lessons. That got me thinking it had been awhile since my last Ranger kiss. He had been very hands off since our whole chat about my breakup with Joe, doing the curl tugging rather than the usual touching and kissing. Wonder what that's about?

"Bomber? You there?" asked Lester.

"Yeah," I said, coming out of my musings. "I'll see you in thirty."

"See you then," he answered sounding way too happy about an hour with an assortment of firearms.

Well, I better eat, I decided since I'd need my strength for the two hours of Hell ahead of me. I went into the little kitchen area of the break room and found Ella stocking the fridge there.

"Hey, Ella," I said enthusiastically. She was a sweet lady and I was always glad to spend time with the only other female employee in the building. It helped me avoid testosterone poisoning…

"Hello, Dear," she said smiling. "Would you like me to fix you up something for lunch?"

"That's okay, I can get it," I said.

"Oh no, let me. I hear you're going to have a busy afternoon. Besides I was just going to take a break so I'll fix something for myself and we can have a nice visit."

"Alright. Thanks," I gave in. I just couldn't stand up to Ella.

While she worked I pondered my lack of domestic skills and decided Joe and I never would have worked. We would have starved without takeout…

"Oh, thankyou," I said suddenly snapping back to reality as Ella placed my lunch in front of me.

"It's no problem Dear," Ella answered. "To tell you the truth, I love taking care of the boys and now you, too." We chatted a bit more when I decided to ask her how she got the roll as 'mother' to all these big, tough army guys.

"Ooohhhh, Booommbsheeellll!" I heard in a singsong voice before Ella could reply.

"Yes, Lester?" I said as he came into the break room.

"Gun range time! Today we do long range rifles."

"He is way too excited about that," I said to Ella.

"Come on, Bomber," he said, tugging my arm before sending Ella one of his charming smiles. "Sorry to steal your lovely companion Ella, but she has an appointment I think she's trying to avoid."

"That's quite all right Lester," Ella replied. "It was nice talking to you Stephanie."

"You too, Ella. And thanks for lunch."

With that I resigned myself to an hour of Lester and his over enthusiasm for guns. We went to the range and I got a quick lesson on how a rifle is different from all the other guns he had taught me about before I was allowed to shoot it. When I did the thing kicked…hard. Lester had told me it would kick, but I wasn't prepared for anything like this.

"Owwww," I yelled when the gun slammed into my shoulder. At least I didn't drop the gun, I had learned that that is a big no-no with these army guys.

"Bombshell, I told you it would kick."

"I didn't know it would be that hard," I complained.

"Here, hold it like this," he demonstrated, "and brace yourself for the impact.

After that the gun didn't hit quite as hard and I was able to fend off the worst of it by holding the gun properly. As the lesson progressed, however, I started to get tired with the heavy gun and was getting kicked harder and harder. I finally was wincing at every shot and missing the target, so Lester called the lesson done ten minutes early.

"You did a good job, Bomber," Lester said, carefully massaging the back of the sore shoulder, avoiding the area that had been bruised.

"Thanks," I said. I really was thankful for the lessons and Lester had turned out to be lots of fun, if a little too fond of guns. Oh well, the guys had come to be like big brothers and I loved them, quirks and all. I think they felt the same way about me.

After saying goodbye to Lester I went to the 7th floor to change then made my way to the gym on the 5th floor where I had to meet Tank for self-defense lessons. I was just walking through the door when Bobby stopped me.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

"Sore," I said, not wanting to complain that I could barely move my arm.

"I bet," he said. "Lester told me you were doing long range rifles and I figured they'd kick so I grabbed you some muscle cream. Rub some on now before Tank starts throwing you around on the mats and then add some more tonight and until the soreness is gone. It'll speed the healing up."

"Thanks, Bobby," I said. He takes such good care of me.

"You bet, Bomber."

I quickly rubbed some on my shoulder before Tank grabbed me and expected me to defend myself from his 6' 6", 270 lb person. It is not an easy task.

"Hey, girl," he said when he spotted me as I made my way further into the gym.

"Hi, Tank," I said, already dreading using my shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Shoulder's sore. Lester taught me how to use a long range rifle and it kicked the shit out of my shoulder."

"Well, then we won't be using arms today. We'll just have to focus on kicks. That'll even work out since we haven't spent much time on them."

"Oh, thanks Tank" I said, suddenly with more of the usual energy I had during these lessons. I really was loving all that the guys were teaching me.

An hour later Tank and I were laying side by side on the mat. He had barely broken a sweat and I was exhausted.

"You did great today," he said. "You're improving very quickly, especially given how little you knew when we started."

"Ungh, that makes being two inches from dead almost bearable."

"Come on, Bomber," Tank said standing and reaching down to give me a hand up.

"Thanks, big guy."

"Anytime. Now off with you to the showers and remember not to run the water too hot or your muscles will get sore," he said pointing me at the door and giving me a swat on the butt.

Once in the 7th floor apartment I took a moment to enjoy the silence and cool calm of the place. It always reminded me of the time I hid out here from the Slayers and the safety I felt only here. After a minute I decided I needed to head for the shower and get the sweat off…I could enjoy later. Besides I could also use the shower gel I discovered during that stay…

Twenty minutes later I was clean and had my Bulgari fix. I was just changing into my Rangeman clothes when I heard the front door open.

"Ranger?" I called out.

"Yeah, Babe," he answered.

"Just checking," I said. "I'll be out in a minute, I was just getting cleaned up after defense training."

"Take your time," he said.

When I walked into the kitchen he was leaning against the counter drinking a glass of water. A normal behavior, but he looked drop dead gorgeous. He was in urban commando mode again today and looked like he had just gotten back from a job. Yum.

"I checked out the status of the 4th floor," he opened.

"Yeah?'

"Nothing's open."

"Oh," I was starting to sound like him with the one word sentences.

"You're welcome to stay here, if you like," he said, sounding cautious.

"I couldn't do that," I told him, not really sure what to make of the offer.

"Babe, you moved in here before on your own and after that we stayed here just fine for a few days."

"Ummm, can I think about it?"

"Sure," he said, but when I looked at his face I saw a tiny amount of tension around his mouth. Wonder what that's about?

"Well, I'm gonna go down and get some more searches done before calling it a day," I stated awkwardly, heading for the door.

"Alright, Babe. Think about my offer."

"Will do," and I was gone.

I hadn't even made it to my desk when I realized I was going to take him up on sharing his apartment. I knew there was no way I could find another place in five days and my only other option was my parents. I really didn't want to stay there.

I finished my last search a little after five and decided to head home thinking that it wouldn't be home for much longer. I started thinking about living with Ranger. He had been acting very funny the last few days. No innuendos, no touching, no anything that would be considered inappropriate at any other companies…it was weird.

After eating some leftovers from dinner at my parents, I decided it was probably a good idea to start packing up some thing, since I now had five days to be out of my apartment. I found some boxes and began boxing the things that I wouldn't need at Ranger's, they could be put in storage. The furniture I decided to sell, I could just get new whenever I needed it.

It didn't take long before my neat packing broke down into haphazardly throwing things into the box labeled 'STOREAGE' or 'GO.' I was just piling the meager amounts of food from my cupboards on the counter, thinking I should go shopping more often…when the nausea from this morning hit me again.

"SHIT!" I yelled as I dashed into my bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I lost my dinner and continued to dry heave for a good ten minutes. Once back on my feet I opened the medicine cabinet and swigged some Pepto Bismol, figuring it would settle whatever stomach bug I had.

Sure that I would be okay, I picked my head up from the cool tile where it had been resting and wandered back into the kitchen. I was almost done with the kitchen when I was interrupted so I thought I'd finish, then I could go to bed.

With the kitchen done, I wandered into the bathroom, answered nature's call, rubbed some of Bobby's cream on my shoulder, and gave my teeth another good brushing, all the while thinking that packing my bathroom and bedroom would be the hard part. They're where I actually kept all my stuff. I wonder how Ranger's going to deal with all my clothes? And the girl stuff in his bathroom? Oh no, I have to share a bathroom with Ranger…mental head slap.

'Oh, God,' was my first waking though as waves of nausea stronger than anything yesterday coursed through me. I jumped from my bed and made it to the bathroom just in time. I was cleaning up my mouth and wondering what time it was when I heard my alarm clock start going off. Guess that answers that question.

I walked into my bedroom and shut it off. I was heading back to the bathroom to get ready for the day when my stomach began to roil again. Shit. I wonder if that day off Ranger offered was still good. With that in mind I pulled out my cell to call him, knowing I wouldn't get anything done if I kept feeling like this.

"Yo," he answered on the second ring.

"Yo, yourself."

"What's up, Babe?"

"I was just wondering if the day off you offered earlier this week was still available?"

"Of course. Is everything okay?"

I knew he thought this was about Joe, but really I had hardly thought of him since I had had my crying jag. If he wanted out of my life, fine. I decided I wasn't going to let him get me down and I hadn't. I was still hurt by what he had done, but it was his choice and I had a life to get on with.

"Everything's fine, Ranger. I just don't feel well. My stomach's still acting up."

"Okay, Babe. Don't worry about anything here, you just rest."

"Thanks."

"I'll check up on you later," he said. Then I heard the dial tone before I could protest.

I was still feeling queasy and I didn't have any energy so I hung up the phone and flopped on the couch. I channel surfed for about half an hour without finding anything to watch and couldn't find the ambition to dig Ghostbusters out of the box where it was packed, so I took a nap. I woke up about three hours later feeling more energized, but still not ready for food.

Bored with napping, I headed into my room and began to pack all of my clothes into suitcases and pack my shoes in yet another box. I was weeding out some clothes that I didn't like anymore when my stomach protested the lack of food, guess that means lunch time. Making my way into the kitchen, I looked warily at the pile of food I had stacked there the night before. I wasn't sure what my stomach could handle, my mom had always made me toast…but I packed my toaster. Giving up, I settled on eating the half pack of saltine crackers I found.

Thoroughly dissatisfied with my lunch, I took another nap figuring I deserved it since I was sick. My head had barely hit the pillow and I was out. I was having a wonderful dream filled with flying and caped crusaders when I heard something banging in my kitchen.

Crawling out of bed, I started looking for a weapon since my gun was in my cookie jar in the kitchen. I found a four inch spike heel and decided that would work. Creeping carefully out of my room I rounded the corner and smacked into a brick wall. Brick wall? I felt a pair of arms go around my waist to steady me and looked up to see Ranger smiling at me.

"Easy, Babe," he said.

"Ranger," I gasped. "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry. I was just coming to wake you up. Are you feeling any better?"

"Ummm, yeah," I said after taking stock of how I felt.

"That's good. You feel up to some dinner? Ella made you chicken soup."

"Dinner?" I asked. It had only been about 1 in the afternoon when I laid down for my nap.

"It's 5:30, Babe. How long have you been asleep?"

"All afternoon," I admitted. "But since it's dinner time…"

"Babe."

"What? All I ate all day was half a pack of crackers. I'm sick of throwing up."

"Come on then, lets eat."

I went into the kitchen and was going to help Ranger dish up dinner, when he grabbed my shoulders and steered me to the table and pushed me into a chair.

"Babe, Ella gave me strict instructions to take care of you before she handed over the soup. She's gonna ask if I did and I don't want to lie."

I just laughed and let him do his thing. I had noticed in the month I had been at Rangeman that none of the big, though, ex-army men could stand up to Ella's sweet, motherly ways.

I was drifting along with this thought when a bowl was placed in front of me. The soup smelled wonderful and my stomach actually growled and I felt hungry for the first time all day.

"So, how was your day," I asked, when I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Went after a bad guy," he said, knowing the short answer would tick me off.

"And…"

"We got him."

"How?"

That brought a wicked grin to Ranger's face and I knew this must be good.

"The guy's a drug dealer and was working so Lester went in acting interested, saying he wanted to deal in the alley out back. The dealer gave him some stuff to sample and Lester was setting up a later meet when Bobby and I grabbed the guy." Here Ranger stopped and his eyes were sparkling with amusement. Ranger never shows emotion so either I was reading him better or this was pretty funny.

"And…" I prodded.

"We got the guy to the station and were unloading him when a drug dog went haywire on Lester. It found the sample on him and Pickey was the first officer to respond, he charged Lester with procession."

I giggled and it quickly turned into full on laughing. I was remembering the time Lester told me I was no fun since I didn't like to be arrested or shot. We'd come a long way since then and I'd found he was proud to have the longest rap sheet at Rangeman…most of which were from his days as a street punk, but every once in a while he added to the list.

"Did you get it all sorted out?" I choked out when I got somewhat under control.

"Yeah. The Chief came in and explained to Gaspick _again_, why he shouldn't arrest us without making sure he knows what's going on," Ranger said, shaking his head. He had had is own run in with Pickey over a concealed gun. Everyone knows Ranger carries concealed and no one cares.

We lapsed once again into silence and I savored the soup Ranger had brought. It was delicious and what was more, it was staying in my stomach. I was almost done eating and was about to break the silence again, when I looked up and saw Ranger glancing around my apartment. This time he spoke first.

"I see you started packing."

"Yeah," I answered, "figured I might as well get the stuff boxed up since I know I'm leaving."

"Did you think any more about moving in with me?"

"Ummm, yeah. I think I'll take you up on that if the offer still stands."

"Of course, Babe. I'll send some guys over tomorrow to get your stuff if that's okay."

"That'd be great. And I'm selling my furniture instead of storing it, so could I borrow the guys and a truck to take it to the used furniture mart?"

"They can do it while they move the rest of your stuff."

"Okay, I'm almost done packing," I said. I wasn't sure where else to go with this conversation. What do you say when talking to your mentor turned one time lover turned boss about moving in with him. The last time we had cohabitated the air had been charged with sexual tension, but my relationship with Joe had held us apart. Now there was no Joe, but things weren't as charged between us. The sexual tension was still there, don't get me wrong, but it was like we had both backed into a corner watching to see what the others next move would be.

"Do you need any help finishing up?" Ranger asked, interrupting my search for something to say.

"I just have to finish my bedroom and the bathroom, but if you want you can help move heavy stuff," I said with a flutter of eyelashes.

"Sure, Babe," Ranger said, grinning.

"Thanks. I over filled some of the boxes and can only move them by pushing really hard."

That just got me a 100 watt grin so I started pointing out which boxes were for storage and which were going with me. If he was going to laugh at me he could at least be useful. While he was doing that, I finished up my bedroom and was randomly throwing mass quantities of hair and beauty products from the bathroom into a box when Ranger poked his head through the door.

"All done, Babe?" he asked.

"Yep, just a few things left that will need packed tomorrow morning and I'll be done."

"Is all that coming with you?" Ranger said, eyeing the box I had just finished.

"Yeah. Do you think the distraction look is an accident?"

"No. But you need all that?"

I just smiled and shook my head. Men.

Once that moment passed I started to feel awkward again. It was starting to hit me that this would be my last night in my apartment and then I would be moving in with Ranger. What was I thinking? I couldn't control myself living with Ranger and I couldn't do the casual sex thing he seemed to want. I'm in trouble.

"Deep thoughts?" he asked and I realized I had been quiet for awhile.

"Ummm, it's just hitting me that this is my last night here," I said quickly before the truth could slip out.

"You may miss it," he said, pulling me into a one armed hug, "but I'll be glad not to have to worry about you and those scraps of metal you call locks."

I just gave him a weak grin as he slipped his arm down to my waist and steered me into the living room. We stared at each other for a moment before he spoke again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Babe. Get a good night's sleep and feel better. The guys missed you today."

"Okay. Goodnight, Ranger."

"Night, Babe," he said, running a hand through my curls and giving them a soft tug at the bottom. I was still focused on the feel of his hand in my hair when he slipped out the door, leaving me wondering once again what was up with that curl tugging. A month ago he would have snuck a bone melting kiss in there.

I found myself yawning despite the excess napping I had done during the day, so I got myself ready for bed, taking one more tour around my sad little apartment before tucking myself in. I really was going to miss the place. I had been attacked here, killed a man here, been left bodies and body parts, not to mention the incident with the snakes, but it was mine and I had also had a lot of good times here.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own them, and I'm not making any money.

CHAPTER 3

My alarm beeped the next morning and I crawled out of bed cursing whoever invented mornings. Work shouldn't start 'til noon. I was half way to the bathroom when I felt the now familiar nausea and dashed the rest of the way. Thankfully, I managed to keep the contents of my stomach where they belonged, but spent five minutes leaning against the wall waiting for the feeling to pass.

Feeling better, I hauled myself into the shower and did my thing. While toweling off I decided to go to work in spite of the fuss my stomach was making. It wasn't constant and between bouts my stomach felt fine. The worst had been in the morning anyway, and as the day went on I got better. Something in that thought stopped me cold…sick in the morning…morning sickness? SHIT!

I ran to my calendar and flipped it back a month and did some quick calculations and realized I was about four days late. I started to think and a month ago would have fallen right in the middle of the hormonal reaction I had to sugar withdraw. Joe and I had been doing it like bunnies. Oh no… No. Don't panic. I needed to think.

Mary Lou! I needed to call my best friend. She'd know what to do! I grabbed my phone and pressed the speed dial for her house, praying she had the boys off to school already.

"Hello," she answered.

"Help," I gasped into the phone, once again on my way to a meltdown.

"Steph? Honey, what's wrong?"

"Are you free? I need to talk."

"Yeah, I just got the boys on the bus. I'll be right over. It's early, but do we need ice cream?"

Ice cream sounded good, until my stomach lurched at the idea.

"No. No ice cream, just hurry."

"I'll be there in fifteen." And she hung up.

I paced for a few minutes and realized I should have left for work already. I needed to call Ranger, but first I had to calm down or he'd hear the panic in my voice. I walked over to Rex's cage and focused on his little legs blurring as they flew around the wheel, it was like hypnosis and I felt myself calming down. Never underestimate the power of a hamster.

Steeling myself I picked up my phone again and hit the number one button for Ranger's cell. My heart beat faster as I heard it ring and almost hammered out of my chest when he answered.

"Yo, Babe,"

"Yo, yourself," I answered trying to sound normal.

"What's up?"

"Uh, I need the morning off. My stomach is still feeling funny, but I may be in later today."

"Okay, Babe. Are you sure you're alright? You don't sound like yourself."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Mary Lou's coming to spend the morning with me," I said, hoping that would keep him from coming to check up on me.

"Alright, do you still want the guys to come this morning?"

"Yeah, Mare and I might go back to her house," I said, knowing I wouldn't want to be having the conversation we were going to have around Ranger's men.

"Okay, I'll call you later," and then I heard a dial tone. We seriously needed to talk about his phone manners.

I only had a minute to pace before Mary Lou was knocking on my door. I grabbed my bag and hurried out to join her in the hall.

"Steph, what's going on?" she asked worried.

"I'll tell you in a bit. We need to get out of here, Ranger's guys will be here soon to move stuff and I don't want to talk about this in front of them."

"Move stuff?" she asked and I realized she was really behind on the last few days of my life.

"Yeah, I'll explain that in the car."

On the car ride to her house I explained everything about my apartment building being made into offices and how I found myself with only six days to find somewhere else to live. She was properly sympathetic, but I could tell she was concerned when she realized this wasn't the worst of my problems.

"Why didn't you just move back in with Joe?" she asked out of the blue, as we pulled up to her house. "I know you guys had a fight, but you always make up and you've lived there before."

"I'll tell you about that when we get inside."

As soon as we were in the house she pounced.

"Stephanie Plum, what is going on?"

"Mare, I think I'm in real trouble this time."

I broke into tears as I told her about my last breakup with Joe and how he handled everything. It hurt to tell her that, knowing what I would be telling her in a few minutes. I continued to sob as I told her about the last few days and all the throwing up and my new views on why I can't stand sugar these days. I finished up blubbering about how only I would be realizing this the day that I moved in with another man. My life is so screwed up.

"Steph, Honey, look at me," Mary Lou said, prying me from where I was sobbing on her shoulder.

"I can't do it Mare. I don't know what to do. Kids were never a part of my plan. Still, it only took me half a second this morning to realize that I couldn't get rid of the baby, but I don't want Joe back in my life."

"It's going to be okay," she said in her most calming voice. "You lie down and rest, you're going to make yourself sick. Take a little nap and I'm gonna run to the store and get some tests. When I get back, you'll take them and we'll go from there. Okay?"

I just nodded my head weakly as I let her lay me on the couch and cover me with an afghan. I heard the door open and close and her car pull away from the house, but I felt like I was in shock.

What was I going to do? I couldn't be pregnant. Joe had been the one to want to do the 'marriage and kids' thing, not me, and now he had left me. Thinking about that I realized what I had told Mary Lou before was true. I didn't want him back in my life even facing having his baby. I knew that if I was pregnant I would keep the baby, I was already in love with it and I wasn't sure it was even there yet. But one thing I knew was that I wouldn't be having it _with_ Joe. All he had done was supply the other set of chromosomes. This was mine.

I was in the midst of these protective maternal thoughts when I heard the crunch of gravel telling me Mary Lou was back. This threw me into a panic again and I sat up on the couch and stared at the door.

"You got them?" I asked when she walked into the room.

"Yeah, here," she said handing them to me. "Good luck."

With that I stood and walked into the bathroom. I lined the tests up on the sink, opened them and read the directions for all three. They were all pretty much the same…pee on the stick wait a bit and check the little results window. I could do that. I unzipped my jeans and grabbed the first stick…nothing happened, I couldn't go.

I walked back into the living room where I found Mare sitting on the couch nervously chewing on a fingernail.

"Come on," she said, after taking one look at me. She stood and grabbed my arm dragging me to the kitchen.

"What…?" I said, confused.

"I should have thought of it before leaving," she muttered, handing me a glass of water. "Drink that, refill it and drink another. Then go sit in the bathroom and before you know it you won't be able to hold it despite the nerves."

I just gave her a weak smile before emptying the glass and repeating like she told me. Then I hustled back to the bathroom and waited. Just like Mary Lou had said, it wasn't long before I had to go and go bad. I threw the tests one last nervous look before grabbing them and doing my thing.

As soon as I was done and had put all of the tests on their respective boxes I washed my hands and bolted from the room. I couldn't wait in there with the tests just staring at me.

"Come here, Honey," Mare said holding out her arms when she saw me.

I went willingly to my best friend for a hug. When she released me I leaned back and stared straight ahead before focusing on Mary Lou again. "Thank you," I said, realizing how much easier this was with her here.

"What else could I do?" she asked. "Do you remember when I got pregnant with Mikey?"

"How could I forget?" I gasped. It had been two weeks before Mare's wedding and she called me sobbing. We drove two hours to get the test since she didn't want anyone to know and I sat beside her just like she was doing for me while we waited for it to develop. It felt like forever ago.

"That worked out and so will this," she said, rubbing my back. "Your tests should be done. Do you want me to come with you to look at them?"

"No, I'll be fine."

I pulled myself up off the couch and walked to the bathroom with a funny feeling in my stomach. This was different from the last few days. It was all nerves, but I still felt like I was gonna loose another meal.

I summoned up all of my courage and picked up the first test and saw a little pink dot. I checked what that meant in the directions and moved on to the next test. This one had two lines in the window. I checked the directions again for what it meant before moving on to the last test. This one had a blue smiley face and according to the directions it was saying the same thing as the other two…I was pregnant.

I walked out of the bathroom with a dazed smile on my face and turned to find Mare waiting for me.

"Soooo?" she asked.

"I'm having a baby," I said as the realization finally hit me that I, Stephanie Plum, was having a baby. Yikes.

A/N: I don't know much about pregnancy tests or morning sickness so sorry for any mistakes.

Please Review!


	4. Chapter 4

They're not mine and I'm not making any money.

**Chapter 4**

Mare gave me another huge hug before leaning down and introducing herself to my stomach.

She was standing again and still jabbering when I came back out of my daze.

"Mare," I said, grabbing her arm, "I don't know what I'm gonna do yet, but you have to promise me something."

"Okay, anything."

"Don't tell anyone, please. Everyone thinks Joe and I are just 'off again', I really don't want my pregnancy to hit the rumor mill 'til I've straightened some things out."

"Alright," she said and before being cut off by the phone.

"Hello?...Okay…I'll be there soon…Bye."

"What's up?" I asked.

"Johnny got sick. I gotta go pick him up from school. Do you want me to drop you back at your apartment?"

"No, thanks. I'll call Ranger. I need to talk to him anyway since this may complicate things." I walked with her over to her mini-van and gave her another huge hug. "Thanks again, for today. I was freaking, I'm till freaking, but in a different way."

"What are best friends for? If you need anything else call, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed, and she was gone.

I pulled out my phone and was about to dial Ranger when the Batman ring tone sounded. Speak of the Bat, I thought.

"Yo," I answered.

"Babe, that's my line."

"I know."

"How are you feeling?"

"Umm, not really sure. Could you come get me?"

"Where are you? I'm at your apartment. The guys are almost done moving."

"I'm at Mary Lou's" I said, knowing he'd know where that was without directions. He's good like that.

"Be there in ten," he said and hung up.

Again with the hanging up on me. I fumed about that for a few minutes figuring that would distract me from thinking about the little person growing inside me. Uh oh, now I'm thinking about it.

The panic was escalating again. I had to tell Joe. I knew that, but I had to make it clear that he was in no way going to be a part of this child's life. He left us, but he still had the right to know. I stopped here and allowed myself to feel warm and fuzzy about the thought of _us_, me and my baby. I'm going to have a baby. Going to be a mommy. I don't know how to be a mommy…

Ranger pulling up to the curb interrupted that thought and I climbed into the front seat of the Bronco. I sat and resumed my thinking without saying a word.

"Earth to Babe," Ranger said waving a hand in front of my face.

"Oh. What? Sorry Ranger," I said.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_, per se. Just a bit messed up. Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure," he said pulling the Bronco away from the curb and steering us towards Haywood Street.

We made it all the way up to his apartment, where I saw my boxes neatly stacked in the living room, before speaking again.

"Babe?"

"There might be a tiny problem with this living arrangement," I said.

Ranger just raised and eyebrow and waited for me to continue.

"Well, you know how I've been sick?"

"Yeah."

"It's morning sickness. I'm pregnant," I blurted out.

"And that's a problem with this living arrangement how?" asked the ever calm Ranger.

"Well, I wasn't sure how you would feel about me being here and being pregnant."

"Babe, I'm more concerned with how you feel about you being pregnant. Are you okay?"

"So far so good. I freaked out this morning when I realized my stomach bug was morning sickness, but Mary Lou helped. In the half second it took to decide to keep the baby, I fell in love with it. I can do this, I just don't want it to mean that Joe's back in my life."

"Proud of you, Babe. And just for the record, knowing you're pregnant just makes me feel even better that you're living someplace safe."

"Thanks Ranger," I sobbed, grabbing him around the waist and hugging him. I'm gonna blame the hormones…pregnant women can do that. "What did I do to deserve great friends like you and Mare?"

"You're a good person. Usually you leave people wondering what they did to deserve you." He's such a great guy.

"Ummm, I need to tell my parents. And I should probably call Joe and tell him," I said with a scowl.

"Okay, Babe. Do you want me to take you to your apartment to get your car, or do you want company at your parents?"

I really didn't want to tell my parents about this alone, but it wasn't fair to drag Ranger along. It wasn't going to be pretty. I remember how Mom reacted when Val got pregnant with Lisa out of wedlock and she had been able to produce a father. Hell would freeze over before I let Joe be a father to this baby. He didn't want us, we didn't want him.

My internal battle must have shown on my face, because Ranger pulled me close and told me he would be fine coming with me. I let out a sigh of relief and then breathed in the scent of Bulgari and Ranger as I burrowed into his shoulder to absorb some strength before looking at him.

"Thank you," was all I said. I needed someone there. I didn't think my mother would kill me since I was carrying her grandchild, but back up would be nice.

We went down to the garage and Ranger led me to his Mercedes. I love this car and he knows it. I gave him a smile knowing he was trying to make me feel better.

The drive to the Burg was short and quiet, both of us lost in our thoughts. Well me in my thoughts and Ranger where ever he goes when he zones. One thing was different today with the zone. Instead of having both hands firmly on the wheel, Ranger kept one of mine clasped in his. It felt good.

Walking up to the house, Ranger grabbed my hand again. He seemed to know that I'd need the support and I gave his hand a little squeeze in gratitude. Just as he looked down at me and smiled my mother appeared at the door using whatever radar tells Burg mothers their offspring are coming.

"Mom," I said as she opened the door to usher Ranger and I into the house, "You remember Ranger, right?"

"Of course dear. How nice to see you again, Ranger," she said. I could tell that she thought it was anything but nice. Last time they had met Ranger had been dressed like a street thug, which hadn't made a good impression on anyone but my grandmother. Today, however, I was thankful he was in business mode instead of street mode or third-world-jungle mode.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Mrs. Plum," Ranger said, ignoring her less than pleasant tone and offering her one of his 200 watt smiles.

"Thank you. So what brings you here today, Stephanie?" she asked knowing I only showed up in the middle of a week day if I had a reason.

"Umm, I needed to talk to you and daddy. And where's grandma?"

"Your grandmother is at the beauty parlor and your father is watching television. Let's go sit and you can tell us whatever it is you need to talk to us about." I saw her eyeing my left hand which was still encased in Ranger's larger hand. I could see the battling looks of relief and disappointment that there was no ring there, so I wasn't telling her I was engaged.

"Frank, Stephanie needs to tell us something. Turn off the television for a minute," my mother said.

"Hey Pumpkin," Dad said as I leaned in to give him a kiss on the head.

"Hi, Daddy."

"Stephanie…" my mother said, clearly impatient to hear what I had to tell them.

I took a deep breath and decided to just jump in and tell them.

"I'm pregnant."

"What!" shrieked my mother. "How are you ever going to get Joseph to marry you if you have another man's child?" She would have gone on if I hadn't decided to jump in. I should have realized she'd think Ranger was the father if I brought him. I was only thinking of moral support.

"Mom! Ranger's not the father, Joe is."

"Oh, thank goodness. Now you two can get married like you should have all along. Does Angie Morelli know yet? We'll have to start planning the wedding and getting ready for the baby…"

"Mom!" I interrupted again. "There is no wedding."

"Of course there will be a wedding. I know you and Joseph had a fight, but you always get back together. I'm sure he wants to since you told him about the baby."

"No, Mom. Joe and I aren't getting back together. He left me for some woman in Philly and I don't want him back." From the corner of my eye I could see Ranger grinning at me. Glad someone's happy here. He's not the one with the irrational mother.

"Good for you, Pumpkin," said my dad. Turning to face him, I was happy to see there was no disapproval in his eyes.

"Frank!" my mother exclaimed.

"Ellen, I know this isn't an ideal situation, but you heard Stephanie. Joe left her. Would you have her go crawling back to him now just because she finds out she's having a baby and is going to be doing it alone?"

"Not alone," interjected Ranger, before my mother could respond.

"What's that young man?" asked my father as all eyes swung to Ranger including mine. I was pretty curious about that too.

"She's not going to be alone. Steph has lots of friends who will help her through this. I know I'm going to be there for her," here he stopped for a moment and gave me a look that told me there would be no argument on that, "and it's going to take serious effort to keep my men from going after Morelli once they find out about this."

"You're right" my father said, nodding with approval. "She's not alone. We're here for you Pumpkin, don't be afraid to call your mother and I for anything."

"Thank you daddy," I said with tears in my eyes. It felt so good to have my father supporting me. I knew my mother would take some time, but she'd come around.

"I still think you should give Joseph another chance," said my mother, "but we will stand by whatever you choose."

"Thanks mom. We're going to go now. I've still got to call Joe, he has a right to know since the Burg will figure it all out eventually, but I'm not giving him a chance to be a part of our lives," I said laying my free hand protectively on my stomach. "Oh, and can you two keep this quiet for awhile? I don't want everyone to know before they have to. So please don't tell grandma. I'm still adjusting to the whole idea."

"Alright dear," my mother said.

Ranger and I stood and I gave my dad a kiss, whispering another 'thank you daddy' in his ear, before hugging my mom and escaping before Grandma Mazur got back.

"That went better than expected," I said once Ranger and I were safely back in the car.

"Is your mother always like that about Morelli?' Ranger asked sounding a little shocked.

"Yeah. It's a miracle that I held out against both of them for so long on the marriage thing."

"I can see that," he said before slipping into his zone.

We were half way back to his building when I remembered what he said about me not doing this alone.

"Did you mean it?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Babe?"

"About me not being in this alone."

"Yeah. If you'll let me, I'll be there every step of the way."

"Um okay," I stammered. I got a little rush when Ranger told me he would be with me in this, but he had also told me that his lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships and he didn't see himself becoming family material any time soon. I was glad we were back at the building and I could avoid where this conversation may have been going.

"Now all that's left to do is tell Joe," I said as we rode up to the 7th floor.

"You feel up to it, Babe?" Ranger asked.

"Not really. But I want to do it before I chicken out or the reality of the situation hits me more than it already has."

"Okay. I'm gonna go down to the gym and give you some privacy."

"Thanks," I said as he opened the door for me before getting back in the elevator.

Once in the apartment, the first thing I noticed was that my boxes which had been stacked in the living room, were missing. I wandered into Ranger's room and peeked in his closest to find my suspicions confirmed. All of my clothes were hanging neatly next to his and a peak in the bathroom showed more of my stuff. Ella must have unpacked for me.

I walked over to the intercom so I could thank her. No way was I procrastinating calling Joe. Nope, not me.

"Hello, Ella?" I said into the intercom.

"Yes, dear?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for unpacking my stuff for me. I was kind of wondering where I should put it."

"You're welcome dear. Would you like something to eat?"

I was about to tell her she didn't need to do anything when my stomach voiced it's opinion for the first time all day. I suddenly realized I was famished. And now I got to eat for two!

"That would be great," I said.

"Okay, I'll be right up."

Can't call Joe now, I thought. I'm waiting on Ella. It would be rude to be on the phone when she got here. These thoughts were interrupted with a knock.

"Hi, Ella," I said opening the door.

"Here you go dear," she said sitting another bowl of the wonderful chicken soup on the counter. "Ranger had me make some more when you called this morning not feeling well again. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah," I said, "And I'm suddenly starving."

"Not being able to keep your food down will do that to you. I had four months of morning sickness with my oldest son and I'll never forget that ravenous feeling."

"What?" I exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"Know what, dear?" asked Ella genuinely confused.

"Uh, nothing," I tried, but I saw her putting it together in her head.

"You're pregnant!" she said with a big smile. "I should have seen it sooner. The change in appetite and the 'stomach bug' and moving in here."

"Moving in here?" I asked. I got the other two, but what would my moving in here have to do with being pregnant with Joe's child.

"I know Ranger's not the nine to five type, but…"

"Oh, Ranger's not the father," I interrupted. "Joe is and I just found out this morning."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion," she stammered.

"It's okay," I said, trying to alleviate her embarrassment. "He came with me this morning as moral support when I told my parents and my mother thought the same thing. She doesn't even know about me moving in here."

"Oh, I don't feel quite so bad."

"Don't," I said before changing the subject. "So you have children?"

"Yes, two sons. Louie, my first son, just started working at the Boston office and my youngest is a chef." I could here the pride in Ella's voice when she talked about her children and I felt a sudden rush of excitement about the baby growing inside me.

"Ummm, what do I do about this whole throwing up half the stuff I eat thing? I think my mom's still a little ticked at me at this point to offer advice."

"I understand dear, and there's nothing really you can do but keep eating and hope some of it stays down. You can try to find food that the baby seems to agree with you on and that should help. How was the soup last evening?"

"Great. It was delicious and I didn't have any desire to throw it up this morning."

"Good And is there anything else you've been craving or something that's had a bad reaction? That will help when I make dinner and such."

"Well, actually I've been hungry for the stuff Ranger usually has to force me to eat and I almost lost it at the thought of ice cream this morning."

"Okay, healthy food it is," she said with a smile. "That should make things easier. Craving junk food is always hard because you know you have to eat healthy for the baby, but you can hardly stand the stuff."

"I didn't even think of that! What do I need to eat for the baby?"

"Nothing special, I'll make sure your meals are balanced," she said with a chuckle.

"Thank you so much Ella. I feel much better now."

"Oh, you're welcome dear. I remember how nerve wracking everything was the first time around. I'll see you later, call if you need anything or if you just want to talk."


	5. Chapter 5

They're not mine, and I'm not making any money.

**Chapter 5**

Once Ella was gone, so was my excuse not to call Joe, so I grabbed the phone and steeled my resolve. Settling down at the bar I dialed while eating the soup Ella had left…liquid courage, I thought.

"Hello," Joe answered after a few rings.

"Joe," I said.

"What do you want Stephanie?"

"Ummm, we need to talk."

"I told you last week I'm done with our on again/off again routine. No amount of talking is going to change that."

"I get that Joe, but…"

"I don't think you do, or you wouldn't be calling," he interrupted.

"Joe, I'm pregnant."

"Nice try, Stephanie. Now tell me how you heard so quickly."

"Heard what?" I asked, confused. This was definitely not the reaction I was expecting.

"Jenn's pregnant. We just told my mom and Grandma Bella today."

Shit. He thought I heard about that through the Burg Grapevine and was saying I was pregnant to try to get him back.

"Joe, I'm not making this up," I said. "I don't want you in my life or my baby's I just thought you had a right to know."

"Okay, Steph," he said with a small chuckle that told me he still didn't believe me. "And just so you don't try any other stunts like this, Jenn and I are getting married this weekend."

"Fine by me," I yelled into the phone and hung up.

I glanced at my half eaten soup, but I had suddenly lost my appetite, so I slid off my stool and wandered into the living room where I collapsed on the couch. I didn't think it would hurt that much to tell him about the baby, and maybe it didn't. Maybe it was the fact that he refused to accept the existence of the life we created. That he thought it was a trick or a joke. I broke into sobs and cried like my heart was breaking. I already loved my baby so much and that he could dismiss it like that hurt more than I would admit.

I don't know how much later it was when I was still crying and I heard the door open.

"Babe. What's wrong?" Ranger asked, rushing over to where I was on the couch.

"Jenn's pregnant," I sobbed.

"Babe?" he asked and I realized that didn't make any sense.

"The woman Morelli's with. She's pregnant and they told his mom and Grandma Bella today so he thought I was just trying to get him back when I told him I was pregnant."

"Oh, Babe," Ranger said scooping me up in his arms and cradling me to his chest. I continued to cry, while he murmured softly in Spanish until I drifted into an exhausted sleep.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up to my stomach growling. I spent a minute confused while I figured out where I was and why there was a heavy arm wrapped around my waist, and heat at my back. Then it all came back to me…living with Ranger…baby…Joe's still scum.

I went back to that 'baby' part and focused on the feeling in my stomach. I decided it was more hungry than a need run for the bathroom, so I carefully started to move the arm that was holding onto me. I was just about free, when a loud beeping filled the room, making me jump about a mile.

"You 'kay, Babe?" Ranger asked with a sleepy smile as he switched off the alarm.

"Yeah, I was just trying to get free so I could get a snack when your alarm went off."

"Okay, I'm going for a run. You wanna come?"

"Not a chance," I said.

"Then enjoy your snack," he told me, before grabbing a pair of sweats and disappearing into the bathroom.

Five minutes later I was munching on granola clusters when Ranger wandered into the kitchen wearing sweats and a black tank top. He peeked in my bowl and raised an eyebrow.

"You and the baby seem to have the same taste in food," I said by way of explanation.

"Poor, Babe," Ranger said as he filled a water bottle.

"Hey, it's staying in my stomach, so I'm happy."

"Then, enjoy your granola, Babe," Ranger said, as he headed out the door.

I did enjoy and when I finished it up I went back into his room and enjoyed having his big, comfy bed all to myself. Not that sharing it with him is a hardship, but it would have been awkward to have to put myself there with him. That got me thinking about how I got there in the first place. I must have fallen asleep while crying and Ranger put me to bed. Uh oh, I thought looking down my body for the first time. I was wearing one of Ranger's large black t-shirts and a quick peek underneath reassured me that I was still in my bra and underwear. It's not like he hadn't seen it all before, but I was kind of trying to avoid that sort of thing.

Oh well. I decided that I was definitely going to work today, so I reached over and set Ranger's alarm to ring again at eight and promptly dozed off.

The alarm rang and I hauled myself out of bed, fighting through a wave of nausea as I padded into the bathroom. It was still a little steamy so I figured that Ranger had come and gone after his run. I was just finishing up my shower when I felt the nausea come back full force. I barely had time to wrap a towel around myself before loosing it into the toilet.

"Come on, baby," I said looking at my stomach. "I thought we were over this. We made it all the way through yesterday without throwing up once. Can you please take it easy on me?"

I sighed, wondering if it was normal to address your fetus. Not that I really cared about normal, I was kind of thinking it would be nice to always have someone around to talk to.

I finished up in the bathroom, going light on the makeup and running some gel through my hair, hoping it would do the trick for the day.

"Hey, kiddo," I said as I fought my riot of curls, "you better hope you have the scum ball's hair and not mine."

I exited the bathroom and wandered into Ranger's closet, getting a look at where Ella had put my things. I only had to search for a minute to find my Rangeman uniform and slipped into the tight pants and short shirt, wondering how much longer I'd be able to wear them.

"Ella left breakfast," I heard from the kitchen when I emerged from the bedroom.

"Okay," I said wandering over to the platter of bagels and fruit, grabbing an apple and some grapes.

"How're you feeling this morning?"

"Okay, I only was sick for about twenty minutes while I was getting ready."

"That's good, but it's not what I was talking about. I meant how do you feel about last night? You were pretty upset. Do I need to find Joe and throw him out a window or something?"

"No, nothing like that," I said quickly, just incase he was serious. "I'll be okay. I just didn't think Joe could dismiss the baby like that. I guess it helps that he has another on the way from his soon to be wife."

"Wife?" asked Ranger.

"Yeah, they're getting married this weekend. Everyone's going to know the whole story and they're all going to feel sorry for me. I hate that."

"Just ignore it, Babe. It'll die down."

"I know," I said and munched on my fruit in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you going to tell the guys?" Ranger asked.

"About being pregnant or Joe being an asshole?"

"About being pregnant. But they're going to find out about Joe, then I'll have my hands full making sure Morelli stays in one piece. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes! And I wasn't planning on telling them for a while. Why?"

"Well you can't keep taking self defense lessons and getting hit, kicked and thrown around if you're pregnant. It's bad for the baby."

"I didn't even think about that," I gasped. "I missed two days in a row of work, so Tank's going to be right on my case about having a lesson today."

"Yeah, Babe. They've been asking what's up with you so you better tell them."

"Alright. I'll tell Tank, Bobby and Lester since they're my teachers and then let gossip do the trick."

"Actually, Babe, they're all going to find out pretty quickly."

"How's that?" I asked suddenly suspicious.

"You're off all field rotations until after the baby's born."

"But I only do distraction and stakeouts. Nothing ever happens on stakeouts," I protested.

"Check out your contract. All expectant parents, male or female, are removed from all field work until at least three months after their child is delivered."

"Ranger," I whined.

"It's non-negotiable, Babe. I had that written in after one of my guys in Miami was killed while his wife was pregnant."

"I never really liked stakeouts any ways," I grumbled, suddenly seeing the wisdom of being careful 'til baby is born.

"Good," Ranger said, smiling. "Are you ready to head down to work?"

"I like this whole 'heading down to work' thing instead of driving," I said as we walked to the elevator.

"That's good Babe, because I was going to ask you to stay, at least until after the baby's born. I don't know how long you were planning on staying but I want you here until then."

"Ranger, I can't…"

"Babe," he cut me off in a stern voice, knowing I wouldn't come up with a good reason to leave.

"Fine," I agreed, wondering why I would protest in the first place.

My in-box was out of control when I made it to my desk and I was frantically doing searches trying to catch up when the first of the three amigos came to my desk.

I felt a shadow and looked up and up some more to find Tank standing over me.

"Hey, Tank. What's up?" I asked.

"Just coming to see when you wanted to do a lesson today."

"Ummm, about that…" I said. "I can't do them any more."

"What's the excuse this week?" asked Tank, knowing how I try to get out of training.

"I'm pregnant and it would be bad for the baby."

"Funny, Bomber. I'll see you in the gym at one." And he started to walk away.

"Tank! I'm serious." I said.

"Bombshell, you can't be pregnant. You and Morelli split and you and Ranger haven't…You're having Ranger's baby!"

"Why does everyone think it's Rangers?" I said exasperated. "Morelli is the father and yes, we broke up and no, we're not getting back together."

"Easy, girl," he said holding up his hands. "I get it, you're pregnant, Morelli's the daddy, no training."

"Morelli is not the daddy, he's just the other half of the DNA. He is no longer a part of either of our lives and will not be a _daddy_ to this child," I said placing my hands on my stomach once again in a protective manner.

"Other than some obvious aggression towards Morelli, are you doing okay?" he asked suddenly concerned.

"Pretty good, I guess," I said shrugging my shoulders. "Morning sickness is turning out to be a bitch, though."

"Poor, Bomber, and you love your food so much. Well, I'm gonna go make plans for my free afternoon," Tank said, starting to walk away again, before turning back with a huge grin. "Oh, and congratulations."

I made it two hours before I was interrupted again. I was just getting to where my pile of searches was looking conquerable when Bobby and Lester showed up with shit eating grins on their faces.

"Hey, Bomber," said Lester.

"We just heard some interesting news from Tank," said Bobby.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah, he seems to think you're pregnant," said Lester with a huge smile.

"Well, that would be because I am."

Without saying anything else, Bobby scooped me out of my chair and I found myself squished between him and Lester as they hugged me 'til I couldn't breath.

"Guys. Air," I gasped.

"Oh, sorry, Bomber," said Lester.

"What's Morelli think?" asked Bobby. "You two gonna tie the knot?"

"No, Morelli and I are not getting married," I said, proud of myself that this time I managed to stay calm. "And as for what he thinks, he doesn't believe that I'm pregnant."

"What?" yelled Lester.

"He thinks I'm trying to trick him into coming back to me," I said, enjoying the indignant expressions on their faces.

"What an idiot," said Bobby.

"Idiot's a little mild," growled Lester

"Little ears now, man," said Bobby, giving my stomach a pointed look.

"Guess we should start practicing. If you need anything, let us know okay?" said Lester.

"I will, thanks guys."

"Welcome, Bomber and congrats," they said as the left.

Now that my co-workers knew I figured I should probably let my friends know. Connie and Lula would kill me if I didn't tell them soon. I checked the clock and saw that it was about lunch time so I headed out of the building, giving the camera in the garage a finger wave. Just like I expected, I found my car there. Ranger is anything, if not efficient.

On my way to the office I decided to pick up a pizza at Pino's for the girls and a salad for myself. That should distract them for about half a second. While waiting I gave my mom and Mary Lou quick calls letting them know what I was doing so they were prepared for the calls they would get and they knew that they could confirm rumors of my pregnancy.

Fifteen minutes later, I was pulling up in front of the office and steeling my resolve for the interrogation ahead. I only had about half an hour before I would have to get back to work so I had just enough time to give them the details and not enough for them to grill me unmercifully. Perfect.

"Hey, girls," I said swinging through the door.

"Girl, where you been?" asked Lula. "We ain't seen your skinny white ass around here in days."

"Been a little under the weather." I said. "I have pizza."

Just like I thought that distracted them for all of two seconds.

"Girl something looks different about you," said Lula.

"And why are you eating a salad?" asked Connie.

"Well I thought I'd tell you before it hit the rumor mill…" I said before I was interrupted by Connie.

"We already know about Morelli breaking up with you for some chick in Philly," said Connie.

"Yeah, that and the fact that she's pregnant and they're getting married was old news by this morning," said Lula.

"Now, everyone wants to know how you're holding up," added Connie.

"Is that it? What I was going to say, before I was interrupted was that I'm pregnant."

Both of them jumped up and started squealing at the same time. I, once again, found myself squeezed between two people unable to breathe.

"Girls. Air," I said hoping it worked on them too.

"Oh, sorry, girlfriend," said Lula as they let go.

"Hey, why's Morelli marrying that other chick if you're pregnant with his kid too?" asked Connie.

"Who says it's Supercop's kid," said Lula. "Maybe it's a little Bat Baby."

"Ranger is not the father!" I found myself saying once again. "Why does everyone think that?"

"Have you not been in the room whenever you two are together? Sparks fly, you look at each other like lunch," said Connie.

"And you didn't answer Connie," said Lula. "If you got yourself a mini Supercop, why is he marrying that other skinny ass white chick?"

"Because she's gonna be a perfect Burg wife and he finally realized there's no way I'd ever come close."

"Humph," was all Lula could come up with to that.

We spent the remainder of our time with them questioning me and me answering until they had the whole story of Morelli leaving and me realizing I was pregnant. Lula wanted to 'bust a cap in his ass' and Connie offered the services of her family, but I turned them down. I didn't want Morelli hurt, I just never wanted to see him again.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it…please review!


	6. Chapter 6

They're not mine, I'm not making any money…

Chapter 6

"Have a good lunch with the girls?" Ranger asked, sneaking up behind me later that afternoon.

"Ranger," I gasped. "Don't do that. And yes lunch was nice, but by now the entire Burg knows I'm pregnant. Don't worry though, probably only about half of them think you're the father."

"Babe?" Ranger asked.

"Well, I've only told a few people and so far, my mother, Ella, Tank and Lula have guessed that you're the father. They're close enough to us they should know you're not, so what will the Burg guess?"

"You gonna be okay 'til that dies down?"

"I'll be fine. It's just like any other gossip, but I don't really get where they're coming from."

"Neither do I," he said. "I just wanted to let you know the boys and I have a meeting this afternoon. It's with our government contacts, so there's no telling what time I'll get home tonight."

"Top secret, super-classified stuff?"

"Yeah, Babe," he said with a smile, before leaning down to give the top of my head a kiss and walking away.

Completely befuddled, I turned back to my searches. Ranger had just told me what he was doing, who he was meeting and as close to a time frame as he could get. What's up with that? Oh well, things to do…people's privacy to invade.

---------------------

At five I stood and stretched, looking around the floor. None of the guys were back yet, so they must still be in their meeting. Spotting Vince and Woody at the monitors I wandered into the control room to say good night.

"Hey, Steph," said Vince, not looking up from the monitor.

"Hi, I just wanted to tell you guys good night before heading up."

"Night," they chorused. We really need to work on their communications skills…

Riding to the 7th floor, I pulled out my phone and turned it on. I'd left it off, knowing it would be ringing all day with the news of my pregnancy, but I was still staggered by the number of messages. I started listening to them as I let myself into Ranger's apartment. By the time I reached the couch and plopped down, I was automatically deleting anything that started with 'is it true that.' When I was done I was left with one from Mary Lou checking in on me, one from Connie and Lula telling me I had to come into the office again because dropping that news on them and running wasn't nice, and one from Ranger reminding me he'd be late. Nothing from Morelli.

I flicked on the television and zoned for an hour or two until Ella showed up with dinner. She'd made stuffed mushrooms with sun-dried tomatoes, no meat, little cheese…and it was delicious. At a loss for things to do, I browsed through Ranger's movie collection, but ultimately settled on Ghostbusters.

After the movie, I wandered to the bathroom for a Bulgari scented shower before pulling on a pair of panties and one of Ranger's black t-shirts for bed. I stood by the bed for a minute trying to decide if I had enough ambition to make a snack before bed when my stomach rumbled, so I padded into the kitchen.

I was reaching for the peanut butter and olives when my stomach turned, so I put them back in the fridge. Instead, I grabbed a handful of sliced carrots and munched them as I headed back to the bedroom. Once done with my snack I tucked myself in and slipped quickly into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, I felt a comfortable heat at my back, an arm around my waist and a hand resting on my stomach.

"Hey, Babe," I heard next to my ear.

"Morning," I mumbled, as I wiggled myself a little tighter to his chest.

"Not quite, but can you wake up so we can talk?"

"What's up?" I asked, turning and stretching.

"Nothing major," he said, shifting so I could stretch and he could still keep a hold of me. "The boys and I got back from our meeting about an hour ago, but we have to leave on an assignment early this morning. I didn't want to leave without telling you."

"Where? How long?"

"I can't tell you, Babe and we'll be out of communication so I can't call. Remember you're off all field work and no training except with your gun. I want you to keep going to the range, okay?"

"O-okay," I stuttered, a little lost for words, still trying to comprehend what he had told me. The only thing I could focus on was that he and the guys were going into a situation that was probably very dangerous and here he was trying to take care of me.

"Babe?" Ranger asked, taking in my unusual silence and seeming shock.

"Be safe," I blurted, before wrapping my arms around his neck and burrowing my face into his chest to mumble, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Shhh, Babe," he murmured into my hair. "I'm coming back." He ran a hand over my abdomen before adding, "I hate leaving you right after you found out about the baby. Especially since I told you I'd be there for you."

"We'll be fine. Do you have time to get some rest before heading out?"

"About an hour…"

"Okay, get some sleep," I said, snuggling into his chest until I felt him relax.

"Night, Babe."

"Night."

I lay very still, knowing that if I moved, he'd wake up. Once I was sure he was fully asleep, I carefully lifted my head to watch him. This is why his lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships, I thought sadly. I didn't want to share my superhero with the rest of world and it made me feel incredibly selfish.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a shrill beeping started by my ear and stopped before I could register that it was coming from Ranger's watch. Ranger started to slowly pull himself away from me when he realized I was awake.

"Go back to sleep, Babe," he said, running a hand through my curls.

"Later," I said. "I want to see you and the guys off."

"Babe."

"Ranger."

"Okay, but you need to get something else on and I'm gonna grab a quick shower."

I just nodded and watched him walk to the bathroom. Once my show was over, I hopped out of bed and dug through the dresser 'til I found a bra and some cotton boxers. I put on the bra and selected a pair of Batman boxers thinking they were appropriate.

I could still hear Ranger in the shower so I wandered into the kitchen and thought about making breakfast. Better to call Ella, so I pressed the button for six and ordered two smoothies, which for the life of me I couldn't remember why I didn't like.

While waiting, I flopped on the over-stuffed couch in the living room and listened to the shower run. I was half-way through a Ranger/shower fantasy when I caught myself. I had been doing so well controlling the hormones too…

Thank God! I thought when I heard Ella knock on the door. I was having way too much trouble pulling myself from visions of Ranger naked and wet. And there I go again, better answer the door.

"Hi, Ella," I said, praying that my face wasn't broadcasting where my thoughts had been.

"Good morning," she smiled at me. "You're up early."

"I wanted to see Ranger and the guys off."

"That will be nice for them. Can you give this to Ranger? I need to feed the rest of the boys."

As she was leaving I noticed that the shower had stopped and a few moments later Ranger emerged from his room wearing nothing but a pair of combats…gulp.

"Hey, I had Ella bring up smoothies," I said, trying to divert my attention. He was making it very hard to remember that he wasn't family material.

"Thanks, Babe," he said eyeing the smoothie I was holding.

"It's what the baby wants," I stated and was rewarded by a grin from Ranger.

Ranger drank his smoothie and walked back into the bedroom to finish dressing. I finished mine moments later and followed him, only to find him dressed and lacing up his Bates boots.

"Need any help packing?" I offered.

"Not that kind of trip, Babe."

"Oh," I said, figuring I didn't want to know what that meant.

"Come on. The guys should be ready and we need to pull out in fifteen minutes."

We climbed into the elevator in silence and Ranger pushed the button for the garage. We were half way there when all of a sudden I couldn't control myself and launched my body at Ranger, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist and burying my face in his chest. I felt him stiffen for a moment, and then bring his arms up to cradle me closer.

The next thing I knew the door had slid open and Ranger started to walk us out of the elevator. I slowly relaxed and allowed him to turn me out of his chest, but kept an arm around his waist.

"Bomber?" Tank asked, knowing quite well how I felt about mornings, having had to drag me out of bed to run a time or two.

"I wanted to see you off."

"Thanks," he said.

While we talked, Ranger let go of me to help the guys finish loading equipment into the Bronco. I watched until they stopped, and realized time was up. I wrapped my arms around Tank only to be lifted off the ground and squeezed to his chest.

"Take care of yourself, Bomber. And take care of the kiddo. I want you both healthy when we get back."

"Only if you promise to take care of yourself, Big Guy."

"Will do," he said as Lester took me out of his arms.

"Thanks for being here, Sweetheart," Lester whispered into my hair. "It means a lot that someone cares."

"It also means you have to come back in one piece," I told him.

"We do our best," he said, before planting kisses all over my face and passing me off to Bobby. My feet had yet to touch the ground from the time Tank picked me up.

"You'll take care of them?" I asked, knowing that if anything happened and they got hurt, Bobby was all they had. Thank God, he was one of the best.

"Yeah, Bombshell, and I expect a full report from you when we get back that you've been behaving and taking care of the baby."

"Yes, doctor," I said, before receiving a sloppy kiss on the forehead and being released into Ranger's arms.

"I'm gonna miss you," I said, not meeting his eyes.

"Back at you, Babe."

I don't know what it was, but whatever happened in the elevator happened again in that parking garage. I'm blaming the hormones…I'm pregnant, I can do that. I suddenly wrapped myself around his body and kissed him for all I was worth. I could feel his shock before he started to kiss me back and it went on until we heard a round loud throat clearing.

"Babe," he whispered hoarsely against my lips.

"Just come back, okay?"

"Yeah, Babe," he said, before giving me another soft kiss and placing me gently on the ground. Then he gave my stomach a pointed look, "And you, don't be too hard on your mother while I'm gone. I promised to take care of her, but I have to go away for awhile. She might get lonely, so just let her have some ice-cream when that happens…it's better for everyone." That said, he bent to give my stomach a quick peck, before pulling me to him for one last hug.

"Time to go, man," said Bobby, clapping a hand on Ranger's shoulder and pulling his attention away from me.

"Yeah," I agreed. "The sooner you all go, the sooner you'll be back. You just have to try to get back before I get fat."

"We'll try, Sweetheart," said Lester, "But it's not fat, it's just more pregnant."

"Thanks, Lester," I said, giving him a weak smile.

Then the guys gave my hair a quick muss and my stomach a pat before loading into the Bronco. Ranger pulled me to him for one more last hug and a few soft short kisses, before pulling away.

"You're an evil woman, Babe, sending me off for God knows how long, with a kiss like that."

"Hoping it brings you back."

"Babe," was all he said before loading into the Bronco.

I watched as it pulled out of the garage and disappeared from my sight. I stood in the garage for a long moment, until I began to feel the early morning chill, so I climbed into the elevator and headed back to Ranger's apartment.

Once there, I climbed into bed, let a few tears escape and started contemplating Ranger's life when I realized I wanted to be in it whether it lent itself to relationships or not. It's not like I ever fit into the 'normal' relationship anyway…look at my escapades with Morelli and Dickie.

A/N: Thanks for reading…Please review!


	7. Another POV

They're not mine, I'm not making any money.

Because Ranger and the Merry Men needed to put in their two cents…meanwhile in the Bronco…

We'd been on the road for half an hour and so far the drive had passed in silence. All of us were in our 'zones', as Steph calls them, probably thinking about the Hell this mission was going to be. It's gonna be one of the worst we've ever done, but we had to accept. We'd been trying to get out of the dangerous, international stuff for a few years now, regretting the contracts we'd signed when we were young and foolish that effectively signed our souls over to the Devil.

Upon discharge from the Rangers, we were approached by a man known only as 'the Director' who offered us a place as an elite team in his program. We would lead civilian lives, but could be on call at any time for a mission. It didn't take us long to realize the missions were dangerous and the blackest of black ops…and there was no way we could be involved in them and have 'civilian' lives. My marriage was a testament of that. We were called away at a moments notice, were gone until the job was done, and racked up more enemies than we would have thought possible. No way we could drag friends or families into these lives.

Over the last two years, the jobs had been slowing down, becoming fewer and shorter as younger, more naive teams came onto the scene. We'd begun to hope they were letting us go. And they had…we just had to do one more job.

"I'd forgotten what that was like," said Tank, interrupting the silence.

"What do ya mean?" asked Lester, speaking up for the rest of us.

"Having someone to see us off. Who isn't nagging us to quit, just cares that we come back in the same condition we left."

"Yeah," agreed Bobby.

"Did you tell her about the job?" Lester asked me.

"No, I didn't want her to worry more than she's gonna."

"One thing's for sure, she didn't want to see you go," said Bobby.

"Yeah, and how are things with her and the cop?" asked Tank. "She nearly bit my head off the other day when I said something about him being 'the daddy'."

"They're over," I stated.

"Think it'll take this time?" asked Lester.

"It will for her."

"You sound pretty sure about that, man," said Tank.

"Morelli met someone else. Steph doesn't cheat and since they're getting married…and having a baby…," I said, leaving the thought unfinished.

"So you're saying Morelli cheated on Steph, got her pregnant, knocked up the other woman, and now is marrying the second woman," clarified Tank.

"Yep."

"And the asshole's arrogant enough to think Bomber's faking being pregnant to get him back," said Bobby, suddenly seeing the light.

"The bastard," muttered Lester. "You sure we can't make a little side trip and put a bullet in his knee cap, maybe break a few ribs?"

"Don't tempt me," I said, knowing it wouldn't take much persuasion to convince me to do something like that. "Steph, doesn't want him hurt."

"Pity," muttered Tank.

"So, if they're through, what are you going to do now?" asked Bobby.

And that is the million dollar question. I've known these guys since we were a bunch of kids in basic and we've been together through a lot, so they know me better than most. They know I care for my Babe and they also know that I haven't been able to do much about it between Morelli and our government job. Now we have one more mission and she's done with Morelli…

"I'm not sure," I finally replied. "I was trying to give her some space after the thing with Morelli, then she moves in with me. I thought maybe this was my chance. She wasn't with Morelli and we had just gotten the call from the Director offering us an out."

"Then she realizes she's pregnant," interjected Tank.

"Yeah, and I was terrified she was gonna end up back with Morelli. I felt like a total asshole for hoping he'd abandon her, then it hit me, I want to be with her. I want her, and the baby, in my life."

"So, what are you so confused about?" asked Bobby.

"I don't know what to do. Steph's gotta be confused and hurt by Morelli rejecting her baby, she already loves the little thing. You should hear her talking to it," I said smiling. "Anyway, I don't know if she wants more than someone to lean on. And if she wants a relationship, will she want it with me? I've told her my lifestyle doesn't lend itself to relationships and I'm not family material…," realizing what I was saying, I snapped my mouth shut. God, the woman had me babbling, I'm in serious trouble.

"The mighty Ranger Manoso, unsure about a woman, I never thought I'd see the day," laughed Tank. "I mean, your Mom and sisters always said you'd meet your match. I never believed it, but damn, it looks like the Bombshell's gone and done it."

"Thanks, man," I said dryly, glad someone found humor in this.

"Anytime," he said slapping me on the shoulder.

"Seems like things could get really interesting," said Bobby smiling.

"Yeah, this is gonna be fun," agreed Lester.

I just drifted back into my zone, this time thinking about my Babe and wondering if she'd give me another shot…

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reading. Hope you liked it…tell me what you think!


	8. Chapter 7

They're still not mine; so sadly, I'm not making any money.

CHAPTER 7

A few hours after my goodbye to Ranger and the guys, I found myself flying out of bed and into the bathroom to experience a 'joy' of pregnancy. I stayed crouched over the toilet for a few minutes before sinking to the cool tile floor. Lying there, I reevaluated my decision to be a part of Ranger's life, and realized that was still what I wanted. Now the question was, how do I convince him that opening his life to relationships won't stop him from being Batman? And if I manage that, how do I convince him to bring a baby into the mix?

Hauling myself up, off the floor, I sighed in exasperation. I had finally figured out what I want and who I want it with, I just hoped it wasn't too late. Could I go back to seeing Ranger only as one of my best friends? Probably…if it was the only way to keep him in my life, but I had to try for more.

With those cheery thoughts, I got myself ready for the day and took the elevator down to work. As the day drug on, I constantly caught myself worrying about Ranger and the guys. I just had to remember that they're good at whatever they were doing, they did it before I knew them, before I cared for them, and they could do it now.

At lunch time, I stood from my chair, sighing and stretched before heading to the break-room. I grabbed a turkey sandwich on wheat and was digging in the refrigerator for a bottle of water, when I felt someone behind me. Spinning quickly, I found Hector standing very close.

"Hola," he said calmly.

"Oh, hi, Hector," I stammered, not sure what to make of this. He still made me sort of nervous and I wasn't completely sure of his English abilities. The only English I had ever heard from him was 'bang,' and that wasn't very reassuring.

"Boss want that I teach you gun."

"Ranger wants you to give me lessons with my gun?" I asked, just to be clear.

"Si."

"Okaaayy…Um, when do you want to start?"

"Next week. Then do like Lester."

"Meet three time a week?" I questioned, assuming that was what he meant.

"Si."

"Alright. Just let me know when."

"Bien. Adios," he replied, before slipping away as silently as he appeared.

So, I guess Hector's my new instructor. I wonder if he's as…enthusiastic, as Lester about guns. I mean, I love Lester dearly, but I can only get so excited over Glock's and Beretta's and automatic vs. semiautomatic, etc.

With these musings, I made my way back to my desk to enjoy my sandwich and cursed softly when I noticed my pile of searches had increased in the fifteen minutes I was away. I swear these guys sit, waiting for me to leave my desk to drop the things off. It's like they're afraid I'll bite their heads off or maybe they're just messing with me. I don't know.

Later that evening, I was feeling lonely up on the 7th floor, when I decided I had better call Ella for dinner. When she came up she took one look at me and the empty apartment before herding me to her apartment to have dinner with her and Luis. After dinner, I went back to 7, dropped a few grapes into Rex's cage, watched some TV and had a chat with my baby. When I felt tired I got ready for bed, pulling one of Ranger's black t-shirts over my head and snuggling into the covers.

My days quickly fell into a pattern of morning sickness, work, dinner with Ella, busying myself for the evening, chat with baby and bed.

XOXOXOX

I was sitting at my desk one day, about a week after the guys left, and found myself with an empty in-box. Since this is a very rare occurrence, I decided to seize the opportunity and do something productive.

I opened up Google, and did some searches on pregnancy. By my calculations, I was now six weeks pregnant and according to the info online, I should be finding a doctor and beginning check-ups. I don't know any baby doctors, so I started hunting for my phone to call Mare and get her input. She'd done this a few times.

I was still digging through my purse when my light was suddenly blocked. I had come to associate this with a Rangeman entering my cubicle so I looked up and found a slightly nervous looking Hal. Now, Hal is roughly the size of two normal men, so the idea that I can make him nervous never ceases to amuse me.

"What's up Hal?"

"Ummm, well, the Boss made you a doctor's appointment before he left and said someone should take you if he wasn't back," spit out Hal at warp speed.

Hunh, he must think I'm gonna get mad. I thought about it, but decided I was just glad Ranger had thought to schedule the appointment. Mostly, I was just ticked that he was able to ESP what I needed days in advance and have it taken care of while he's…where ever he is.

"Did you draw the short straw?" I asked smiling.

"Um, yeah," Hal replied, looking relieved that I was taking this so well.

"Okay, when do we go and who are we going to see?"

"Tomorrow at three and Dr. Emma Cooper."

"Sounds good."

"Okay," said a very confused looking Hal, as he wandered away.

That settled, I decided to look up my new doctor online. Just typing in her name got me a few thousand hits and it didn't take me long to find that she's the leading obstetrician in the Trenton area. Trust Ranger to find the best and get me an appointment, but there was no way I could afford her. Just out of curiosity, though, I brought up the Rangeman website and went to the employment section to check out my medical benefits. Yep, there it is, full pre-natal care coverage…and people think Ranger's not a good guy.

Since I still didn't have any searches, I decided to take my lunch. Wandering into the break room, I grabbed a freshly made grilled chicken salad and headed for the elevator. I'd eat up on the 7th floor and spend the rest of my lunch break napping. No one tells you how tired this pregnancy stuff makes you.

Once I was finished with my salad, I grabbed a blanket and curled up in a ball on the couch, not wanting to mess up the bed that Ella so neatly made. Forty minutes later, the alarm on my phone went off, dragging me from sleep. I glanced at the time and saw I had ten minutes to be back to my desk, so I ran to the bathroom and peed for about the millionth time today and fixed my hair before taking the elevator back downstairs.

Just as I expected, my in-box had filled, so I settled myself in for a few more fun-filled hours of online bad-guy hunting. They passed quickly, and before logging out I brought up and few news sites, like I did every day this past week. I did a quick scan of the headlines for any major political upheavals, third world jungle invasions, or South African coups…anything that could give me a clue as to where Ranger and the guys were…but like always, there was nothing of use.

Later that evening, after dinner with Ella and the rest of my night-time routine, I crawled into bed and opened the big book of fairytales to where I had left off. I'd bought the book over the weekend, during the cheer-me-up shopping trip Mare, Connie and Lula had arranged in honor of Joe getting married. I had seen it and realized I was seriously lacking in fairytale knowledge, I needed to brush up if I was gonna be a mommy. Some nights I practiced reading out loud, but tonight I was enjoying the silence.

The next thing I knew, I was trying to sit up and something was sticking to my face. Opening my eyes, I saw it was one of the glossy pages of my book, so I peeled it free. A glance to the clock told me it was just about time to get up, so I grabbed a few of the soda crackers I keep in the nightstand, and headed for the bathroom while munching.

Hopping into the shower, I wondered if Ranger remembered to pack some Bulgari, but decided I didn't like the idea of him off somewhere smelling all sexy. I preferred to think he had to pick up some normal-person soap at a drug store…if they have drug stores where ever he is.

Grabbing Ranger's robe, I slipped it on as I towel dried my hair and ran some gel through it. After that, I got dressed and started the makeup.

"Okay, if you're a boy, disregard this, if you're a girl pay close attention," I told my stomach. "Now, normally you start with foundation, but according to Ella it's you giving my skin this wonderful glow, so we can skip that. We've been over mascara, so today we're going to do eye-shadow…" and so the lesson went on.

Once I was ready I headed down to the 5th floor. In the elevator, it hit me that I had only been giving the baby, girl type lessons. I should probably figure out what sort of stuff to tell it for boy lessons. Lucky me, I work in a building where the testosterone level is through the roof.

"Hey, guys," I said to Woody and Junior as I swung into a chair in the control room and watched as images from a jewelry store panned across the screen. Momentarily distracted, I forgot what I came in for.

"What's up, Bombshell?" asked Woody.

"Oh, yeah. Um, what kind of things do little boys need to know?"

"Huh," they both asked.

"I've been telling the baby things like how to put on make-up and girl stuff, but I don't know boy stuff to tell it. You guys were little boys…help!"

"Probably, you should just nap on the couch and turn on ESPN," offered Junior.

"I like to _talk_ to the baby," I said, like this was the most normal thing in the world.

Since I'm pretty sure it's impossible to shock a Rangeman, neither of them showed any sign that they didn't think this is normal. Instead they looked thoughtful.

"You could try telling it how to throw a baseball," said Junior.

"Talk to it about cars, girl or boy won't matter. It'll be a kind of a vehicular sensitivity training to prevent the rugrat having your luck with cars," offered Woody.

I gave that one a big eye roll. This poor kid was going to catch a lot of slack when it came to learning to drive.

"Thanks guys," I said, deciding they weren't much help, before standing and swinging off towards my cubicle.

Four searches later, I looked up to find Hector standing by my desk.

"Hola, Nena."

"Hi, Hector."

"Practice early today, because you go to the doctor."

"Okay, do you want to go now?"

"Si."

Standing, I linked my arm through Hector's and we headed for the lift. It still surprised me how gentle he is, considering how scary he looks. Today would be our third session, but it had only taken about fifteen minutes into the first one for me to get over my fear of him.

Once in the range, he handed me a gun and pointed at the target.

"Hit the paper man. How do you say 'paper man'?" he asked, immediately quizzing me on the Spanish he had taught me during our last lesson. After I had automatically corrected his grammar and he had said if I got to teach him English he would teach me Spanish. Since Ranger and the guys tended to speak Spanish around me, I thought this was a good deal.

"Umm, hombre de papel," I said, before unloading the clip at the paper man.

"Bien," Hector said, referring to my translation and shooting. "Reload gun."

"Reload _the_ gun," I corrected.

"Reload the gun," he repeated. "Say 'I have blue eyes'."

"Tengo ojos auzeles."

"Close. Tengo ojos azules. Shoot again."

And that's how our lessons went. Hector expected me to work the entire hour, but had quickly learned that I work better if I'm not thinking about how much I hate practicing with my gun. So, the whole time I worked, he kept my mind on my Spanish lessons rather than the physical task I was doing.

Back upstairs, I saw it was lunch time, so I headed for the break-room where I found Hal alternately taking a bite of and glaring at a turkey sandwich.

"What did that poor sandwich do to deserve a look like that?" I asked.

"It's not a big, juicy, greasy double cheeseburger," he said.

Laughing, I thought about the chances of anyone finding something as unhealthy as a cheeseburger in this building. Then my stomach started clenching at the very idea. To combat the feeling, I grabbed a spinach salad and some fat free French dressing.

"So, what time are we leaving?" I asked, changing the subject.

"We need to leave at about 2:15."

"Okay, I'll meet you in the garage then."

"See you in an hour," he said, before sitting his plate in the sink and heading back to the control room.

We have to leave in an hour…that gives me about time to do a few searches and then get ready to go, or take a nap and then get ready to go. Decisions, decisions. Right…and a nap it is.

Fifty minutes later, I was rushing around the apartment trying to finish getting ready. I hadn't realized what a dilemma it would be finding something to wear. What does one wear to meet the person that will be delivering their baby? Exactly. In the end, I settled on loose jeans, a nice blouse and low heels. I was trying to look responsible, like I could handle being a mother.

I was just grabbing a jacket and my purse to head out the door when I heard my phone go off. It was playing the 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' theme song, so I knew it was one of the Merry Men…I have to remember to change that before one of them notices it.

"Hello," I answered.

"Bombshell," said Hal. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the elevator, on my way down. Have some patience, sheesh." Then I hung up, figuring if Ranger could do it, so could I.

Looking at the time on my phone, I saw I was only two minutes late. Again I'll say it, sheesh.

"Well, let's get this show on the road," I said, climbing out of the elevator and into the Bronco, Hal was standing by.

Nena: Little one

XOXOXOXOX

A/N: Hope you're enjoying the story…tell me what you think!


	9. Chapter 8

Sorry this one took a little longer, life got in the way. They're still not mine, I'm not making any money.

CHAPTER 8

"Here we are," said Hal, parking the Bronco in front of Trenton Memorial Hospital.

"I assume you know where we're going," I said, as we walked through the front doors.

"Yeah. Fourth floor, waiting room C."

"Alright then, lead the way."

Walking into the waiting room, I saw it was set up like most other waiting rooms except it was very pink. And it had lots of books on being pregnant and brochures with pictures of fetuses...which I must say, really aren't that attractive. Flicking through one, while Hal picked up the paperwork I needed to fill out, I found one of a 6 week old fetus.

"So, that's what you look like." I said softly.

"Here you are, Bombshell," said Hal, startling me.

"Oh, thanks Hal."

There were a bunch of pages, but most of it was pretty standard stuff. It only took me a few minutes to fill out my information, but I had no idea how to answer a few of the questions on Morelli. I didn't want to call him to get the information, but I had a feeling things like his medical history and blood type could come in handy.

"Hey, Hal?" I said in a singsong voice.

"Yeah, Bomber?"

"Could you call control for me and have them do a search on Morelli? I need his social security number, blood type, medical history, and current address."

"Sure thing," he said dialing. Moments later, he started spouting off the information, and I was done with my paperwork.

I took it up to the receptionist and rolled my eyes as she told me that the doctor would see me in a few minutes. Then, to my amazement, not ten minutes later, a nurse was poking her head through a door and calling my name.

"Here we go, kiddo," I muttered.

The nurse handed me one of those open-backed gowns they make you wear, so I changed quickly. I'd spent a few minutes in the flowery examining room before a petite red-headed woman walked in.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Emma Cooper." she said extending her hand.

"Stephanie Plum…call me Steph," I said.

"Alright, Steph, why don't we get started. Today, we're just going to do a routine physical to check things out and I'm going to prescribe some pre-natal vitamins."

That said, she started in on the poking and prodding, the whole time she was asking me questions about myself and my habits. She seemed a little concerned about my job and my history as the Bombshell Bounty Hunter, until I told her I'd be chained to a desk for about the next year. Half an hour later, she seemed satisfied with whatever she had been looking for or at.

"Well, Steph, you seem to be doing great. Since you're in good shape now and were doing some rather intense physical training before realizing you were pregnant, I'd advise that you continue with some form of exercise. Maybe, light jogging until you begin to show, then walking or swimming."

"Ungh, and here I thought pregnancy was my 'get out of exercise free' card," I complained.

"Trust me, staying physically fit will make your pregnancy and delivery much easier. That's about it for now, you'll need to schedule another appointment for next month some time and we'll check things out again and maybe do an ultrasound."

"Okay, thanks," I said as she left me to get dressed again.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

When I walked back into the waiting room, Hal looked at me expectantly, but I didn't say anything. We made it all the way back to the Rangeman building before he broke.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked, sounding like he thought this job had gone way too easily, and I guess it had considering I was involved.

"Great, the baby and I are healthy and Dr. Cooper's very nice. She said, so far, I've been doing great at being a mom, but I have to start doing light exercises to stay in shape."

"Awesome," he said, then saw my confused face and explained, "I can't wait to tell the guys that placed bets on something going wrong today. A successful trip had really low odds considering my 'Bombshell history'" he said, grinning as we parted ways. I just shook my head…again with the betting on my life.

Making my way to my cubicle, I saw it was about 4:30, so I had time to do a few quick searches before the day was over.

At quarter after five, I took the elevator to the 7th floor, thinking I'd change into something more comfortable and grab a nap before heading down to have dinner with Ella. Those plans disappeared as soon as I walked through the apartment door.

Someone had added 'homey' touches all over the apartment. There were books on the bookshelf, magazines on the coffee table, and fresh flowers. Exploring, I found things like funny magnets and a calendar on the fridge and cozy looking throw blankets on the couch and chairs in the sitting room. Everything combined to make the apartment look lived in, but that wasn't what stopped me short.

On the walls and different surfaces there were pictures! Looking carefully, I noticed they were a mixture of pictures of Ranger and the guys, Ranger and me, and me and the guys. Wandering through the apartment, I stopped to look at them all. It didn't take me long to see that they were taken from the security tapes from the building. Someone had gone through the tapes and frozen pictures. They all touched me, but the one I found on the bedside table was by far my favorite.

It was Ranger and I. I could tell it was from the morning he left, because we were in the parking garage and he was in all black combat gear and I was in an over sized black t-shirt, tied at my waist to show black boxers with a yellow batman logo on the butt. It must have been right after I had kissed him senseless, because we were holding onto one another and the emotion on our faces (yep, Ranger too) nearly took my breath away.

'Maybe, just maybe' my heart whispered to me, 'you still have a chance with him.'

Holding the frame, I gave myself a few moments to dwell on how much I missed him and how worried I was, before heading for the elevator to go find Ella and thank her. This had to be her handiwork.

After giving a quick knock on the door to the 6th floor apartment, I went in and it didn't take me long to find Ella in the kitchen making dinner. Walking over to her, I whispered a croaky 'thank-you' before wrapping her in a hug as a few tears escaped.

"Shush, now dear," Ella said, holding me to herself as she rocked us slightly. "You mentioned that the apartment was a little bare and the boys and I noticed how you've been missing Ranger, so we decided to do something to celebrate your first doctor's visit. How'd things go with the doctor?"

"Oh, Ella, it was great. The she's so nice, and she didn't make me feel at all bad about being a single mom and not having a clue about what to do with a baby. Mostly she told me it was still way too early in the game to worry about that."

"You see, dear. There was nothing to be nervous about. I'm glad to hear you and baby are doing well. Now why don't you set the table, while I finish up with dinner. It shouldn't be a minute."

"Okay."

Two hours later, I made it back upstairs and took another tour of the apartment, looking at all the pictures. The clock read eight o'clock, so I changed into sweats before browsing the titles that had been left on the bookshelf. Finding a sappy romance with a cover model that could pass for a Merry Man, I curled up on the couch to read.

Next thing I knew, something was pulling me from a deep sleep. Taking stock, I realized it was the all too familiar nausea, and I made a bee-line for the bathroom. Ella's a great cook, but experience had taught me her food definitely doesn't taste good going both directions. I _really_ can't wait for this 'morning' sickness to be over!

After cleaning out my mouth, I curled up in bed and drifted off to sleep again.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Nope. Sorry Bombshell," Woody was saying four weeks later, but the look on his face told me he wasn't sorry at all.

"Are you sure?" I pleaded.

"I'll measure again, but your stomach hasn't grown. You're not showing, that means you gotta jog."

"I hate jogging," I grumbled, as I took off around the indoor track of the Rangeman gym. I hadn't realized what a slip of the tongue it would be telling Hal the doctor told me to get exercise. He had told the other guys, and they had taken it upon themselves to be my enforcers. Apparently, they thought if Ranger came home and found out they let me disregard the doctor's orders, that they'd be toast.

Once I had jogged a full mile (that's right, they make the pregnant woman jog a mile) Woody let me head upstairs to change before lunch and my nap. Luckily, the guys had noticed that jogging puts me in need of a nap…or maybe they had picked up on it making me tired and cranky, either way, we had a routine going. Work in the morning, jog, lunch, nap, work in the afternoon. On odd days, I still spent an hour with Hector in the gun range, and I could now hold 'mini-conversations' in Spanish.

Digging through the fridge after my shower, I found a container of left-over whole-wheat pasta from dinner the night before. Picking it up, I found a note from Ella, telling me to heat some up for lunch and that there was a fresh container of vanilla frozen yogurt in the freezer. That was my little indulgence since I found it was a sweet the baby and I could compromise on.

"Okay, baby, you ready for some lunch? We're gonna have a really quick cooking lesson. I know you've been listening when Aunt Ella has been trying to teach me to cook, but this is how cooking was really meant to be done."

With that I scooped a blob of pasta onto a plate and popped it into the microwave. When the timer went off, I gave the temperature a quick test and dug in.

"And that is how you do it," I said, giving my tummy a satisfied rub, when I was done. "Lets just pop the plate in the dishwasher and then it's nap time!"

Climbing into bed, I scolded myself as I felt a sigh escape my lips. I was making an effort to be cheery while at work, but the truth was I'm still missing Ranger, though I didn't often give myself the luxury of admitting it. Steeling my mind against hopes for his return and worry for his and the guys' safety, I forced myself to relax until I drifted to sleep.

An hour later I was back at my desk, digging through the past of one Willie Gunns. He had changed identity so many times, putting the pieces together was turning out to be a challenge. It seems he's a career criminal having done a little bit of everything and I was just tracking down the info Vinnie can't be bothered with before bonding someone out.

"Dammit," I cursed softly as I hit another wall concerning this guy's prison time.

"Having some trouble, Bomber?" asked Hal chuckling, causing me to look up from my screen.

"Nothing I can't handle," I reassured him. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to remind you, your next doctor's appointment is early next week."

"Thanks. You taking me again?"

"Yeah, the guys said since I did so well last time I get another turn. Not that I don't want to go or anything," he covered quickly, "but their offering heavy odds that something will happen this trip since the last one went so well."

"I could go by myself, you know."

"Uh huh," he said, giving me a look that clearly told me how likely that was to happen.

I had sort of gotten the feeling that, not only had Ranger and the guys told me to be careful and take care of the baby, but they had impressed the importance of doing the same on the rest of the Rangemen. They can be over-bearing, but mostly I try to be glad to have so many self-appointed 'big brothers' watching out for me.

"Okay, thanks for reminding me," I said.

Once Hal was gone, I went back to my searches, loosing track of time until my stomach rumbling caused me to look at the clock. Quarter of six, guess I better stop for the evening. A quick perusal of some news sites and I shut down my computer. There was still nothing that screamed 'Ranger was here' so my mind was laid slightly to ease for another day. No news is good news, right?

Making my way to the elevator, I pushed the button for six. I'd stop in and see Ella before going upstairs, then out for the night. The girls and I were having a 'girls night in' since Lenny took the boys fishing and Mare had the weekend off. Normally, we would go clubbing, but I wasn't sure how that would mix with pregnancy so we were having a sleep-over at Connie's.

"Helllloooo," I sang out as I walked into Ella's apartment.

"In the kitchen, dear," I heard.

Walking through the living room in to the kitchen, I found Ella mixing and stirring and doing other cooking _stuff_ that I couldn't identify. I gave her a quick squeeze, then got out of her way, plopping myself in a kitchen chair to watch while we visited.

"How's your nephew doing?" I asked when I noticed a lull in the cooking activity. After seeing ET, her nephew had tried to fly his bike, but ended up with a broken leg and cracked ribs.

"Oh, much better," she replied, chuckling. "My dear baby sister thought she was in the clear since he's off bed rest, but she didn't consider the difficulty of making a 9 year old boy use crutches."

"At least he's free," I said, sympathizing with the kid, having experienced bed rest and broken bones after the garage roof incident.

"I suppose so," Ella conceded, turning back to a pot that suddenly started making a somewhat frightening bubbling noise. "Are you still on with the girls for tonight?"

"Yep and I can't wait. It feels like forever since I've seen them."

We chatted for a while longer, then I headed upstairs to pack the stuff I would need. It was 6:30, so I had to hurry, Lula would be here to pick me up at 7 and I definitely didn't need her storming the building if she was kept waiting. That in mind, I threw clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, makeup, etc in my bag then dashed into the living room to grab some movies. Thinking of Ranger's extensive collection I'd offered to bring a few along. Browsing over the shelf I grabbed Die Hard, Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot, and S.W.A.T. when I noticed some movies that definitely weren't Ranger's.

"Aunt Ella strikes again," I said to the baby, while grabbing some of the DVD's Ella had clearly picked up for me. Love Actually and The Princess Bride would do if the girls and I needed a 'chick flick'

Looking at the clock, I saw it was ten after seven, so I grabbed my bags and made a dash for the elevator. Considering Lula was chronically 15 minutes late, I had five minutes to make it to the garage. Any longer and she'd be near-Rhino Mode at being kept waiting.

At exactly 7:14 I heard the distant thumping of the base on Lula's stereo system and a full minute later her Firebird pulled up to the gate. I pressed the button to remote the gate open and waited for her to turn around in the garage.

"Girl-friend, get your still-skinny white ass in this car right now!" Lula yelled as I was walking towards the car. "We're gonna have some fun tonight!"

"Oh, God," I said in mock horror as I climbed in. Lula peeled out of the garage and I cranked the stereo up the last notch it could go before we started screaming along. I was really looking forward to tonight.

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­­­

Four hours later, we were taking a break from our action movie marathon and fixing some more snacks when the subject I had been dreading was brought up.

"Soooo," started Connie, "have you talked to Joe since 'The Talk'?" she said referring to my last disastrous discussion with Joe nearly five weeks ago. I really didn't want to talk about it, especially since it had taking about two weeks for the girls to stop turning into a pack of raging banshees at the slightest mention of Joe's name once I told them about our little chat.

"Nope," I said. Short and sweet, keep it short and sweet.

"Steph," said Mare, in a patient voice, "whether he wants to admit it or not, it's his baby too. Make him take some responsibility."

"It's not his baby."

"I _knew_ it!" shouted Lula. "It _is_ a BatBaby!"

"Okay, okay…technically, genetically it is Joe's child also, but it's my baby and I want him to have as little to do with it as possible. If he never admits its existence I'll be perfectly happy."

"What are you gonna do when Angie Morelli and Bella find out?" asked Connie. "You know they aren't gonna dismiss a grandbaby like that."

"I'm not so sure about that Connie. Joe's married to a nice, Catholic girl and they're producing their own 'grandbaby.' I'm wondering how the Morelli women are going to take Joe's illegitimate child by the ex-girlfriend they put so much effort into praying would never become a part of their family."

"It is the perfect set up for one of those 'Burg scandals' that will be whispered of for years and never talked about," sighed Mare. "I always knew you had it in you."

"Huh?" asked Lula, who wasn't familiar with the ways of the Burg.

"Steph refuses to act Burg, and Morelli's decided to settle down and have a nice Burg family," explained Connie. "By now all the dirt on their breakup and Steph's pregnancy is common knowledge, but no one is going to call Steph, Joe, or either of their families on it. Mrs. Morelli'll ignore it and hold her head up, daring anyone to bring up her Joseph's wild past and 'love child.' Steph's mom will either accept it or cut Steph off, and do like Mrs. Morelli, daring anyone to bring it up."

"Sheeeiit," said Lula, once Connie was done.

"Yep," agreed Mare. "Speaking of which, Steph, how's your mom doing?"

"Well, I still haven't been invited back for Sunday dinners, but I called Val the other day on her cell while she was grocery shopping with Mom and I saw a glimmer of hope. She told Val to ask me how I'm feeling and suggested I drink fruit juice to get my sugar levels up when she heard I was feeling tired."

"That's great, Honey!" said Mare. "She's coming around, just give her some more time."

And on that cheery note, we all picked up our snack of choice (mine being the only one involving vegetables) and headed back into the living room to resume our movies.

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A/N: Hope everyone's enjoying the story, I'm having fun writing it. Review and tell me what you think!


	10. Chapter 9

They're still not mine, and I'm still not making any money…I want to give a big 'thank you' to everyone who's reviewed.

CHAPTER 9

"Hey! That's cold!" I protested as Dr. Cooper squirted clear, slimy goop all over my stomach.

"I know, but it'll be worth it," she said giving me a knowing smile.

"You're the expert," I said, as she came at me with a weird looking wand thing.

"This is part of the ultrasound device," she said when she saw me giving it a dubious stare. "I'll pass it over your stomach and it will send the images to the screen and we'll be able to see what the baby looks like."

"Wait! So this is more than you just checking things out? I'm going to be able to see my baby already?" I asked, excitedly, looking down at my still-flat stomach.

"Yep," she replied smiling.

"If I'd know that I wouldn't have given Hal such a hard time about missing my afternoon nap today!"

"You've been experiencing fatigue?" she asked as she started to slide the wand around in the goop…which I must say is not a pleasant sensation.

"Uh huh."

"Then I guess you'll be excited to hear that around week 13 and 14, the fatigue and nausea should ease up. Since you're 12 weeks along, you should notice it soon."

"Thank God!"

Dr. Cooper just laughed before turning her head to look at the screen.

"So, that man you come with, Hal you said his name was, what is he to you?"

Oh, how do I explain this…? Probably, the simpler the better.

"He's a coworker. The guys I work with don't want me doing this alone and Hal got elected for doctor visit chaperone."

"Well, my secretary and receptionist will be glad to hear that. Apparently he spent our last visit charming them and they've been counting the days to this visit just to see him again."

"Poor women," I said grinning. The Merry Men really shouldn't be allowed out in public…

I was still thinking along those lines and more specifically, thinking about the leader of the Merry Men who definitely shouldn't be let loose on society, when Dr. Cooper interrupted my thoughts.

"Here we go," she said indicating the screen.

"Uh huh," I said, obviously not seeing what she was seeing, because I couldn't make out anything but black and white blobs and swirls.

"See that spot right there?" asked Dr. Cooper pointing to a large grayish blob on the screen.

"Yeah."

"That's the head. And this is the beginning of the spinal cord," she said, dragging her finger along the picture before indicating what would be arms and legs. I'd just have to trust her. "Are you ready to hear the heartbeat?"

"What? Yeah!"

"Okay." Then she placed a stethoscope on my stomach and I heard a soft thumping…and it was going way faster than I wanted _my_ heart-rate to be so I panicked. Shit, this maternal worry stuff is easy…

"It's so fast," I said, looking worriedly at the screen.

"For an adult yes, but this is perfectly normal and healthy for a developing baby."

"Okay," I sighed, feeling better as I relaxed and listened to the life inside me. Dr. Cooper gave me a few moments before removing the stethoscope and speaking again.

"Well, I'm done and we can get you cleaned up. Do you have any questions?"

"Ummm, when should I start showing?" I asked, wondering when I would be allowed to stop running.

"Within the next month you should start to feel movement and soon after that you'll start to show."

"Okay, thank you," I said, thinking dismally of a whole month more of jogging.

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Later that night, I wandered back into the apartment around 8 o'clock after dinner with Ella. We had visited longer than normal, talking about my latest doctor's visit. Ella had gushed over the ultrasound printout and apparently she could see whatever it was that Dr. Cooper saw because she pointed it all out to me again. Honestly, I still see black and white blobs.

After sticking the black and white blob photo back to the fridge, I changed into one of Ranger's t-shirts and climbed into bed intending to read, but I was exhausted. Giving up, I decided to get some sleep, I did miss my nap today, after all.

Sometime in the middle of the night I drifted awake. I didn't have to pee and I didn't have to throw up, so what woke me? That's when I noticed a heavy arm draped over my stomach and the spine tingling sensation I associate only with Ranger.

As soon as the realization that he was home hit, I was jolted to full wakefulness as waves of joy and relief washed over me. The need to confirm he was alright was overwhelming, so I sat up and ran my hands gently over his head, down his arms and across his chest to reassure myself that he was here and healthy. Just as I was debating exploring lower, he moved.

"Yo, Babe," he said, sitting up and flicking on the light as he pulled me to his chest.

"You're home!" I squealed, wrapping my own arms around his neck. I had kept my earlier touches soft, trying not to wake him, but now that he was awake I held him tightly to myself.

"Yeah, Babe. Home," he said, squeezing me tighter and rocking us gently.

"And you're okay?" I finally asked pulling away slightly and looking him over. "And the guys, they're okay?"

"Nothing but flesh wounds and bruises for the most part. Lester took a bullet to the leg while we were tying up the job, he lost a lot of blood but Bobby's staying with him. They're on the fourth floor and you can visit in the morning."

"And the flesh wounds and bruises," I dug, knowing he was being evasive.

"Babe."

"Ranger!"

"Tank took three rounds to the vest about two weeks ago and ended up with bruised ribs, Bobby got hit in the shoulder, but his vest stopped the bullet. He's got a bone bruise on his collarbone. Lester made it the entire time without a scratch till he got hit in the leg and nearly bled out. I just got grazed on the hip a few days ago."

"Let me see your hip," I said, trying to push Ranger down onto the mattress.

"Babe," he argued.

"Let me see."

Giving me a half-way decent eye-roll, he laid back and scooted the band his cotton draw-string pants aside to expose his bandage. Ignoring the salsa dance my hormones were doing, I shifted my eyes to the large gauze patch on his left hip. The tape was all peeled and I could tell the wound had been seeping and the bandaging was way past needing changed.

"Ranger! Why didn't you change this?"

"Got home and came straight to bed. I was tired and wanted to hold you," he said, proceeding to grab me back to his chest. At least he had the good grace to look slightly guilty.

"Well, it's a nice sentiment, but now you've seen me, so we're going to take care of your hip."

Freeing myself and jumping out of bed, I was on my way to the bathroom when the nausea hit me like a truck. At the excitement of finding Ranger back in his bed where he belongs, I forgot I couldn't stand up too quickly any more. Thankfully, I won the race to the bathroom before spewing my guts into the toilet.

I was still sitting hunched over, when I felt a warm hand rubbing slow circles on my back. I enjoyed the feeling as the tension slowly eased from my body. Standing back up, I remembered that it was supposed to be me taking care of Ranger for once, not the other way around, so I shooed him from the bathroom and started to grab first-aid supplies.

Walking back into the bedroom, I dropped my arm-load on the foot of the bed. Looking up, I found Ranger watching me with an amused smile on his face.

"What's so funny?"

"You, Babe."

"Great. So, I'm entertainment again?'

"No, you've just once again amazed me. I was gone for over a month and instead of pestering me about it, you've just welcomed me home and started taking care of me."

"Would you answer any questions I asked?"

"No can do, Babe."

"Exactly. And I've come to accept that. You told me you were leaving, you wouldn't be in contact and were doing some top-secret job," I said, but silently added a 'and I worried every day.' I didn't voice it, because I was acting on my decision to show Ranger that a relationship with me could work with his life-style.

"That doesn't sound like your usual 'curious to a fault' self."

"I guess I did some thinking while you were gone and realized, as long as you came back safe, it didn't really matter where you were or what you did."

"You're one in a million, Babe."

"To my mother's despair. I think she's finally realizing I'll never fit the 'Burg' mold or lead that life. Now, enough stalling! Lay back and let me change your bandage."

"You gonna play nurse, Babe?" asked Ranger with a hint of the wolf grin.

"Ranger, don't make me call Ella or Bobby to come do this."

"Yes ma'am."

"Much better," I said, with an exaggerated, satisfied air.

Peeling the tape from Ranger's skin, I slowly lifted the bandage and found a deep, nasty gash about four inches long. It had been cleaned up pretty well and stiched, I probably had Bobby to thank for that. I'd also have to thank him for teaching me 'Rangeman first aid,' which is slightly more intense than regular first aid.

I swabbed out the cut with alcohol, noting with satisfaction that Batman was clutching the sheet and gritting his teeth at the burning sensation. Once I was satisfied it was clean, I added new ointment, cut a fresh gauze strip and taped it down.

"Thanks, Babe," Ranger said when I was done. "It feels good to have someone take care of me."

"It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me," I said, suddenly feeling a little shy. "And I guess I should thank you for taking care of everything with Dr. Cooper before leaving."

"It's nothing, Babe. How are things with the baby?"

"Good," I answered from the bathroom where I was putting things away. "I had my first ultrasound today. Do you want to see it?"

"You know I do, but tomorrow. Now I want you to come back to bed, so I can get the kind of sleep I haven't gotten since the morning I left," he said. Thinking back, I remembered him waking me to tell me about the job then falling into a relaxed sleep.

Suddenly seeing the exhaustion around his eyes I felt guilty for not having noticed it sooner. Crawling into bed beside him, I leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his forehead before whispering a gentle 'goodnight.'

I was just leaning over him to switch off the lamp when he grabbed me and pulled me down to where he could press his lips to mine. The kiss was gentle as we both explored the other's mouth for long, delicious moments before Ranger pulled away. He reached out an arm to flick off the light, not disturbing me from where I lay, melted on his chest.

"Now, that's a goodnight kiss," he whispered into my hair before wrapping his arms around me and settling us for sleep.

I have to say I agree with him.

"Goodnight, Ranger," I whispered back, tilting my head up to kiss the underside of his jaw. "I'm glad you're back."

"That's good to hear, Babe. Now, go to sleep. I'll still be here in the morning."

With that reassurance against what I was really afraid of, I drifted off to sleep and felt Ranger do the same.

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. There were just so many ways for that homecoming to happen…I couldn't make up my mind! Let me know how you feel about the way it turned out.


	11. Chapter 10

Sorry it's been _forever_ since an update, but my oh-so inconsiderate professors have been monopolizing my time… But it's almost break!!

CHAPTER 10

'This feels nice,' I thought, rolling to face the heat at my back. Mid-roll, my foggy consciousness started trying to tell me something important, but it wasn't until I was face to chest with that something that I realized what it was.

"Morning Babe," I heard, as my pillow (a mocha latte arm) pulled me closer.

Ranger. During the night he had come home and relatively unharmed. Flinging my arms once again around his neck, I proceeded to pepper kisses all over his face. I knew I wasn't ready to blurt out the things I'd realized about our relationship, but a month of what-if's had convinced me to stop denying and hiding my feelings. Ranger still had a dangerous lifestyle, but that only meant I had to make sure he knew I cared…

I had just kissed the tip of his nose and was resting my forehead against his, about to say…I don't know what, when the bedroom door swung open.

Both Ranger and I tensed, until we saw Tank and Bobby wander into the room.

"Morning Bombshell, morning Boss," they said, taking in the sight of me tangle in Ranger's arms, lying on his chest. Apparently, we looked pretty comfortable, as they both crossed the room to the bed and flopped on either side of us.

Pulling me off of Ranger, Tank tucked me in his own massive arms. Ignoring the scowl coming from Ranger, he rocked us back and forth.

"I missed you, Bomber," he said, squeezing me a little tighter.

"I missed you too, Big Guy," I replied, with a squeeze of my own.

We stayed like that for a few moments until Tank finally acknowledged the dark look Ranger was still sending him.

"Now Boss, you know your hip's in no shape to have the Bombshell sitting on it," he said in a very matter of fact tone.

"Oops," I gasped, suddenly remembering the gash on Ranger's hip. "I forgot about your hip. Is it alright?"

"He's fine, Bomber. Tank just wants to keep you to himself," Bobby said, leaning across Ranger to wrap his own arms around me.

"Get off of me," Ranger said, easily pushing Bobby away from him with a bench press motion. "_Steph_ is okay, not you." With that, he pulled me back to himself, cocooning me once again in his arms.

"Should you guys really be hauling me around like this, being injured and all?" I asked, slightly concerned. I hoped it was okay, as my current seat was quite comfy.

"We're fine, Bomber," Bobby told me. "Just a few flesh wounds and bruises."

"So I've heard," I replied dryly, not really convinced.

"Don't worry about us Babe," Ranger said into my hair. "We missed you, but if it was hurting us to haul you around we wouldn't do it."

Looking to Tank and Bobby, I got confirming nods, so decided to believe them. So, these three were on the road to recovery, but I was still missing a Merry Man.

"Alright, I believe you. Now you two, out," I said leaning left then right to shove Tank and Bobby. Not that it did any good. "I gotta get dressed. I've seen you three are alright, but I still have to go visit Lester."

"If you want my opinion," offered Bobby, "you should punish Lester and not visit 'til later since he's not listening to his doctor."

"Out!" was my only response as I pointed to the door.

"Alright, alright," they both muttered, heading for the door.

"We'll see you down on four. Ella's delivering breakfast in twenty," Tank said, before disappearing out of the bedroom.

When we heard the apartment door open and close, Ranger and I both let grateful sighs escape.

"So that's what it's going to be like to have a toddler," I said, resting my head back against Ranger's shoulder

"I never really thought about it like that," Ranger said, laughing, "but the guys do have a tendency to barge in here in the morning. Almost makes me not feel bad about missing it with my daughter."

"What was that," I asked mildly shocked. He'd spoken in such an easy manner, you'd never know this was only the second time he'd ever mentioned his daughter.

"Oh, the guys all have keys to the 7th floor and tend to let themselves in. We'll have to talk about that now that you're living here too."

"No, not about the guys, you know I adore them. About your daughter, you just offered personal information."

"Yeah, I did," he said, smiling slightly and pressing a kiss to my frizz-ball of hair. "We better get moving, Babe, or the boys will be back. You want first shift in the bathroom?"

"Nah, you're quicker. I'm gonna go back to sleep. Wake me when you're done?"

"Sure, Babe," he said before untangling himself and strolling to the bathroom.

Once alone, I tried to fall back asleep, but couldn't. My mind was still reeling with the emotional overload of Ranger being home. I wanted to be a part of his life, but he was right that his life didn't lend itself to relationships…in the normal sense of the word. Lucky for him I had never been normal. I tried normal, it didn't work for me either. Maybe what I had been looking for all along was Ranger.

I'd had time, while Ranger and the guys were gone, to think long and hard on these feelings and I'd taken advantage of it.

The only point of uncertainty I had ever hit was my pregnancy. There was always the possibility Ranger would say his lifestyle couldn't handle a baby or that he could be willing to support me now, but would reject my baby. I thought it was unlikely, but had to be prepared, just in case. And I was…I wanted a life with Ranger, but I knew I would pick my baby.

"Babe, you gotta wake up and get ready," I heard from somewhere above me as a hand gently rubbed my stomach.

"Hmmm?" I asked, confused. I must have fallen asleep…

"You need to get up. And hurry, or the guys will have eaten everything but the healthy stuff by the time we get downstairs."

"'Sokay," I mumbled. Probably I should let Ranger know that the baby and I were still eating healthy. My stomach letting out a persistent rumble, however, did finally motivate me to move.

"Babe?" Ranger asked, clearly confused by my lack of desire to secure something sugary from the guys.

"Still can't do junk food," I said, feeling my stomach roll, as I thought about it while trying to stand. Not a good combination. I was really glad this whole nausea thing was going to be over soon…

"I just hope it lasts," Ranger replied, pulling me into a hug, kissing my neck then abdomen. "I'm a little jealous, though kid, you managed what I never did."

"Poor Batman, outdone by an embryo," I teased, shaking my head as I sauntered into the bathroom.

"Babe," was Ranger's only reply.

A record breaking ten minutes later, I was pulling on a pair of sweats and rubbing a glob of gel through my hair. That would do, I thought pulling on a stretchy tee to complete the outfit. These guys had seen me looking much worse and weren't scared off. That was one of the benefits of hanging around big, tough ex-military guys, they were hard to frighten.

Exiting the bedroom, I found Ranger wandering around the sitting room. I had wondered how he would react to the slight changes made to his domain while he'd been gone, but the small smile playing around his lips looked like a good sign.

"Like what you've done with the place, Babe," he said, not turning around.

"You'll have to thank Ella, she did it to cheer me up."

"Did it work?"

"It helped," I said, walking across the room to where he was standing.

"That's good, Babe," he replied, wrapping his arms around my waist. "So, you've been alright and the baby's okay?"

"Yeah, we're both fine. Ella and the guys have been great."

"That's good to hear. You ready to head down to breakfast?"

"Yeah, just give me a sec," I said, letting go of his waist and dashing to the kitchen. I grabbed the ultrasound printout from the fridge and rejoined Ranger. So what if I couldn't tell the differences in the blobs and swirls in the picture? I still wanted to show it off.

"That your ultrasound, Babe?" Ranger asked when I met him by the door.

"Yeah," I replied while he locked up the apartment. "You wanna see?"

"Babe," was the only reply I got.

Taking that for a 'yes,' I held out the picture, but instead of grabbing it, Ranger grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to himself.

And that's when it happened. My hormones which had been suspiciously silent since last night, came awake with a roar. I felt the familiar bolt of electricity I only associate with Ranger shoot through my body and tried to suppress a shiver. I didn't quite manage it, because Ranger just pulled me closer, as he examined the picture, and ran his hand up and down my arm.

'What the Hell,' I thought, I might as well try giving into these feelings. That was the plan wasn't it, to stop suppressing the emotion Ranger causes. With that decided, I wrapped my own arms around his waist and snuggled in to watch him look at the picture.

"I gotta admit, Babe, I have no idea what I'm looking at," he finally said.

"Neither do I," I admitted, "I just know it's the baby and I wanted the guys to see it."

"Babe," was all he said, with a soft laugh, resting his head on top of mine. We rode the rest of the way to the fourth floor in silence.

I focused on squashing any nervous thoughts that entered my brain. Something was changing between Ranger and I, and I was determined not to over analyze it. Probably we would have to address it sooner or later, but for now, I was content to just enjoy it.

My musings were interrupted when the elevator stopped. With Ranger's arm still around my waist, we walked to the communal kitchen and found Tank, Bobby, Lester and a few other Rangemen enjoying a loud, playful breakfast.

In the center of the activity I spotted Lester getting ribbed on by the other guys for getting shot at the very end of the mission. Something about needing to get in the worst war-wound and not leave the other guys time to out do him. Men…

Running my eyes over him, I assured myself that all of my guys had returned and none of them were too worse for wear. That done, I joined in on the teasing.

"You see? This is why you shouldn't play with guns," I said, walking up beside him and giving him a quick hug.

"Now, Bombshell. I thought you'd know by now this is part of the fun," he returned.

"Nuts…you're all nuts," I muttered in fake astonishment.

Still shaking my head, I decided it was long past time for me to get some food, so I grabbed a plate and piled it with healthy things (which were still pretty abundant) and turned to find a chair. Not seeing one, I did the next best thing, plopping myself on the nearest lap. It happened that I sat on Bobby and he immediately wrapped his arms around me.

"So I finally get my hug?" he joked, aiming a glare at Ranger.

"Yeah," I agreed, twisting and squeezing him tightly.

"So, where's my report?" he asked, when I was finally released.

"Report?"

"Yeah, I told you I'd want one on you and the baby when I got back."

"Oh," I said, excited. "We're great. I have morning sickness, but Dr. Copper says it shouldn't last too much longer. I was just to see her yesterday and everything's fine, and I'm perfectly healthy. She did an ultrasound! Wanna see it?"

"Sure, Sweetheart," Bobby replied, seeming amused by my enthusiasm.

"You're in luck, I brought it down to show you guys," that's when I realized I didn't have my picture. Panicing slightly, I felt a familiar hand on my shoulder.

"I have it, Babe. So, can you interpret this thing for me," Ranger asked Bobby. "Our mother-to-be has no idea what any of it is."

"Yes I do!" I objected. "There's a head and a spinal cord there somewhere." Both Ella the Dr. Cooper had said something about that…

"You're right Bomber," said Bobby, taking the picture from Ranger. He gave me a little one-armed squeeze before going in to the explanation I had heard and not retained a few times already so I didn't bother paying attention.

Looking up, I saw that Ranger was paying close attention. He was carefully watching Bobby point out the vital parts already developed and appeared to be committing the information to memory.

"Hey! What are you guys looking at?" I heard from Lester, who was sitting at the other end of the table.

"Ultrasound," said Mr. One-Word-Answers.

"You can see the baby already?" asked Lester in an awestruck voice. "Bring that thing over here!"

"Why don't you get up and come see it yourself," teased Bobby.

"'Cause I hate crutches and you'll go all 'doctor-y' if I start hopping."

"True," Bobby agreed.

Standing up, I tugged Bobby out of his chair (with some help from him, of course) and started towards Lester.

"Oh, come on! I don't care if he is being a bad patient, I want to show off my baby."

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Hope you liked it, sorry about the wait. Please review!!


	12. Chapter 11

I still don't own anything, so I'm still not making any money…

CHAPTER 11

Breakfast lasted nearly an hour, as the guys caught up, talked about some of their missions that weren't classified and allude to some that were. I spent the time watching Ranger relax. I'd seen the other guys goofing off like this plenty of times, bur Ranger rarely joined them… at least when I was around. None of the guys were acting like his behavior was out of the ordinary, so I decided it must not be. And I have to admit, I was really liking this side of him.

Eventually, it was time to get to work for those of us who had been here, and time to catch up on business for those that had been 'away.' The guys and I had just about finished piling the breakfast dishes and few leftovers onto a tray for Ella when the room suddenly went silent.

Usually that means Ranger had shown up, but he was helping scrape the last few plates to be stacked. Curious, I turned around to investigate. What I found, was a petite Cuban woman who looked to be in her mid twenties, standing in the doorway, hands on hips, foot tapping,

Once she had the attention of the entire room, she strode across it, stiletto boots clicking, to stand in front of Ranger.

"Is it really that difficult for you to pick up a phone and call home?" she asked, jabbing her finger into Ranger's chest.

"Mira, I…," Ranger started, when she held up her hand.

"I don't want to hear it. It just would have been nice to know you're still alive," she said, before turning to where Bobby and Tank were standing by Lester's chair. "And did you three forget how to operate a phone as well?"

"We, umm, no," stuttered out Bobby.

"Didn't any of you think we would be worried when you disappeared, yet again, without a word?" she asked, including Ranger this time. By now, any Merry Men who weren't a target of her rant had disappeared, so it was just Ranger, Tank, Lester, Bobby and I with the mystery girl.

"Mira, you know we have to leave on short notice…" tried Ranger.

"Like I said, I don't want to hear excuses," she answered, cutting him off.

I must have let out a small gasp at the way she was talking to Ranger, because suddenly she turned her gaze on me for the first time.

"Mira Manoso," she said, extending her hand towards me.

"Stephanie Plum," I replied, taking her hand in shock. Mystery girl must be one of Ranger's four sisters…that would explain her getting away with talking to him like that.

"Yeah, Babe, Mira's my sister," Ranger said, coming up behind me. "And she only gets away with talking to me like that 'cause she's the baby."

"What have I told you about calling me 'the baby'?" she asked.

"Not to," Ranger said simply, before wrapping her in a tight hug. "It's good to see you baby girl."

"It's good to see you too," she said melting into him. You'd never know that minutes before she had been ready to tear him to pieces.

Once she was loose, she went over to the Merry Men and proceeded to give each of them a similar hug. Once she was through, she turned back to Ranger.

"You probably guessed, but Mama sent me. How she heard you were back, I don't know… I swear the woman has super-powers. Anyway, she expects all of you for the 'agradezca a dios, they made it again' dinner on Sunday. And bring Stephanie," she said before turning to me. "I'm sure Mama would like to meet you. We've all heard quite a bit about you over the last year or so." _Thank God_

"Umm," I started, not sure how Ranger would feel about this. Apparently it was enough of an affirmative for Mira, though, because she started chatting again.

"Well, I'll see you all on Sunday," said, with a stern look at Ranger. "Stephanie it was nice to meet you. Now I gotta go… things to do, people to see. Adios.

With that, she blew out of the room as suddenly as she had shown up. I was left standing completely befuddled. What had just happened?

There were a million questions racing through my mind, and I couldn't believe I'd finally met a member of Ranger's family. I know he'd told me about them, but it's always good to get some more confirmation he's human and all… When I finally came back to reality, I found Ranger looking at me, and the other guys gone.

"Go ahead babe," Ranger said, with a little smile.

"Go ahead, what?" I asked. I had no clue what he was talking about.

"After Mira, the human whirl-wind, I'm sure you've got a few questions."

"Huh, I'm not sure where to start."

"Let me know when you are."

"I think I'm about ready," I said after a minute or two more of staring into space.

"Okay, shoot."

"So, dinner?" I asked. Right now that seemed like a big concern. I wanted to learn more about Ranger and his life, but meeting the Bat-family? Was I ready for that?

"They're not so bad," he said, coming behind me and wrapping me in his arms. "I've met your family, and if you can survive them, you can survive dinner with the Manoso clan."

"Clan?" I asked.

"My brother, my sisters, their spouses and their kids will be there, Babe," Ranger answered, with a slight grimace.

"Oh," was all I could manage.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," he repeated, giving me another squeeze before releasing me.

"If you say so. What should I wear?"

"Nothing dressy. Just jeans and a sweater would be fine."

"Okay. Ummm, are you okay with me meeting your family? I mean you're always so… well you never talk about them or anything."

"Yeah, Babe. I'd like you to meet my family. And I don't talk about them, because it's a habit. I try to keep them from being linked to me to keep them safe. I guess I went a bit overboard."

I just gave that an eye roll.

"But I'm gonna have to break that habit a bit now," he said. "Now that the guys and I are finally free men again."

"What? Free men?" I asked quickly.

"Babe," he started, "there's some stuff I need to tell you. It might take awhile, so do you mind if we move this conversation upstairs?"

As much as I was dying to know what it was he had to tell me, the look in his eyes told me this was important to him. So I agreed, taking his hand and leading him to the elevator.

We rode up to the 7th floor in silence, my back to Ranger's front. Once we were there, he positioned us on the couch with me between his legs, nestled against his chest. It was unbelievably comfortable, so I just snuggled in and waited for him to start talking.

"The reason the guys and I have always be so _overly_ careful about security and our personal lives is that we were part of one of those government organizations no one knows about, Babe," Ranger explained. "We were recruited right out of the Ranger to do black-ops."

He paused there, seeming to want some response from me. I wasn't sure what to say, and I didn't want to say the wrong thing, so I nodded against his chest. That seemed to be enough though, because he started talking again.

"We were told we could have civilian lives, but had to be ready to go at a moments notice. We would have to just up and leave when we got a call. Sometime we were gone a few days or a week and others times we were gone for months on end. It didn't take us long to figure out the 'civilian life' wasn't going to work out. The jobs we did were extremely dangerous. We ticked off some bad people, Babe, the kind I wouldn't want finding out about my family."

Here, he paused again and this time I felt like I needed to say something. I focused in on his style of speaking which was niggling at my mind.

"You say this like it was in the past," I said. "But you just did a mission."

"Yeah, Babe," said Ranger with a small smile. "We'd wanted out for the last year or two, and they'd been cutting down our missions, but wouldn't let us go. When this job came up, though, they offered us a deal. They needed a good, experienced team, but it was the kind of job we'd been trying to avoid. They told us if we did it, they'd let us go. So, we're free men, Babe."

"But, so, ummm… what's that mean?" I asked. What I really wanted to know was if this meant his life might suddenly lend itself to relationships.

"It means, I'm a regular guy now," he said with a smile.

"Regular guy?" I asked. Somehow, I couldn't see it.

"Well, as regular as regular as I can be and still be a bounty hunter working in the security industry."

"Oh," was all I could get out. That didn't sound too relationship friendly. I started trying to think of a way to slink off to bed. With all this new information I really needed to spend some time in my thinking position. That and I just couldn't listen to Ranger tell me he didn't do relationships one more time…

"Babe?" Ranger was saying, when I wrenched my attention back to him. "You alright?"

"Ummm, yeah. The excitement of the morning must have been a little much though. I'm tired and a bit queasy, so I'm gonna go lay down for a bit. Okay?"

"Sure, Babe. Uh, do you mind if I join you?"

Did I mind? I had only spent the last month wanting him to return so I could lie in his arms and feel for myself that he was alright. Only, I was really confused… it wasn't like Ranger to take a nap in the middle of the day.

"Haven't had much sleep in the last week, Babe. I'm still not feeling quite like myself," Ranger explained. Seems like his ESP's functioning just fine.

I looked up at him and realized I probably should have responded, but really he just threw me off. What with wanting to nap and then asking to join me.

"Sure Ranger. It is your bed," I said trying to joke.

He didn't say anything, but came up behind me and walked us into the bedroom. We parted as he made his way to his walk in closet and I ducked into the bathroom. I needed to empty my bladder if I didn't want my nap interrupted.

When I came out of the bathroom, Ranger was climbing into bed in his lone pair of boxers. 'You can do this' I told myself as I ducked into the closet he had vacated. My emotions were spinning between the desire to go after what I wanted with Ranger and the fear of him rejecting me. And on top of that, the sight of him in his boxers had sent my hormones into hyper-drive again.

Sighing, I pulled one of Ranger's large, black shirts over my head and walked back into the room. With any luck he'd be asleep, I could slip into bed without waking him and then manage to get some sleep my self… I really was tired.

But no such luck. As I approached the bed, Ranger flipped back the covers for me so I silently climbed into the bed beside him.

Before I could squirm and try to get comfortable, Ranger grabbed me and pulled me against himself. Yep, that's comfortable, I thought, nestling my head onto his shoulder. Just go with it, I reminded myself. I wanted Ranger, and here he was offering cuddle time, so I'd take it.

I was just closing my eyes, because I really did want to sleep, when I felt Ranger press his lips to the top of my head.

"This feels nice," he said, softly.

"Yeah," I agreed. And that was the last thing I remembered.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, but please review and let me know what you think!!


	13. Chapter 12

They're still not mine and nobody's paying me for this story.

CHAPTER 12

Wow, this pregnancy thing is weird! The fatigue went away, just like Dr. Cooper said it would, and for the last three days I've had incredible surges of energy. While they're great and all, I really wish they wouldn't happen at five in the morning.

That's how I've ended up at the Rangeman track at 5:15 for three days in a row. The first day, Ranger got up for his run and asked if I wanted to join him. Instead of glaring and going back to sleep, I agreed. I think I finally succeeded in shocking Batman!

Anyway, we'd jog my mile, and then I'd head up to the shower. By the time I was done, Ranger was back from his more strenuous run and he'd take his turn in the shower. Then we'd eat a light breakfast, courtesy of Ella, and head to work.

We'd gotten into a nice little routine, but we still hadn't talked about what was going on between us. After our nap the other day, we'd gotten up, had lunch and gone about the day. Only the kissing and touching had escalated, and I really wasn't sure how much longer I was going to be able to control my hormones. Sigh. I needed advice, but no one from the Burg would know how to deal with ex-military, Batman-like man problems. Maybe I'd go see Ella later…

For right now, I just sat back for a few minutes to watch Ranger running. Yummy. I didn't need to hurry upstairs since today was Sunday and I wasn't working. I planned to spend the day relaxing on the 7th floor, watching a few movies and eating veggies. And Ranger might not know it yet, but so did he.

Giving him one last look, I headed up to the shower.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Wrapping a towel around myself, I exited the bathroom to find Ranger pulling his shirt off as he walked across the room.

"You done in the bathroom, Babe?" he asked, completely oblivious to the fact that his chest was very distracting.

"Uh, yeah," I finally managed, and skittered into the dressing room to put on something besides a towel before I did something else my mother wouldn't be proud of.

I pulled on a pair of loose sweats and a tank-top and was heading back into the bedroom when Ranger waked in wearing only a towel now. I swear the man is trying to kill me.

"Staying in, Babe?" he asked, taking in my outfit and doing the eyebrow raise thing.

"Yep, and so are you," I said, tossing him the pair of sweats and t-shirt I had planned to lay on the bed as a hint.

"Babe?"

"We're relaxing today."

"Oh, you think so do you? You might be able to, but some of us have a business to run."

"Uh huh," I said, taking pains to sound unconvinced. "Well _some of us_ just got back from Istanbul or Guatemala or wherever and haven't taken a break since. And _some of us_ have a bunch of very competent employees who are quite capable of running said business for a day, as they managed for an entire month. So _some of us_ are going to spend the day on the couch before I have to go all 'cranky, pregnant woman' on them."

"Okay, Babe, you win. Just let me call down to control and let them know I'm off-line," he said, coming at me like he was going to do the curl-tugging thing.

"Stop," I said, holding up my hand. "No touching 'til you're dressed."

He flashed me his wolf grin, but disappeared into the dressing area to change.

I did a quick happy dance because I got my way, and then headed for the living room to find some action movies. I didn't want to push it and try to make Ranger watch chick flicks with me…

"What are we watching, Babe?"

"Well, I was gonna let you pick, but I found Ocean's Eleven… I haven't seen it in forever. Can we watch it, please?"

"Sure. You put it in, and I'll go get us some breakfast."

I wonder what he's gonna make. I hope it's yogurt and granola, because I'm having a serious craving. I'll have to remember to ask Dr. Cooper how long these cravings are going to last, since it seems they've replaced the fatigue.

I was finishing setting up the DVD, when Ranger walked in carrying two bowls. A quick peek, showed strawberry yogurt with granola. Magnificent ESP.

"I love your ESP," I said, deciding to share, as I took a bowl.

"Finally you appreciate it," was his only reply.

Once he was settled, I snuggled up against him and started the movie. For the most part Ranger did a good job at keeping the B & E mistakes Ocean's Eleven made to himself. There were only a few times he felt he had to let me know that something wouldn't work, just in case I was getting ideas. It really wasn't surprising that he knew these things…

"My turn to pick," Ranger said, as the credits rolled, completely shocking me. I had expected him to be trying to make a break for the control room by now, but he hadn't even called to check in. I felt a goofy smile cross my face; he was willing to spend an entire day doing nothing with me.

"Okay," I replied, standing to let him up. "I'll go get us some snacks."

Digging through the fridge, I found carrot sticks and celery sticks; I put some fat-free Ranch dressing in a bowl and found some whole wheat crackers. That would do.

I put it all on a tray and carried it into the living room to find Ranger finishing up.

"What are we watching?"

"Gangs of New York," he said, taking the tray and placing it on the coffee table before grabbing me and settling us back the way we were.

"Is it good?"

"Don't know, Babe, I've never seen it. My brother got it for me awhile ago."

"Okay." That said, Ranger started the movie, and it was good, but me being me, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, the TV screen was blue. It didn't take me long to notice I was still lying on Ranger and he appeared to just be waking up too.

"How long did we sleep?" he asked, bringing his arms up to wrap around me.

"I don't know, but it's abut three now," I said, looking at his watch, which was resting on my stomach.

"Only an hour or so, then."

"Mkay."

"So, what next, Babe? You're the expert on the lazy Sunday of relaxation. We've already watched movies and napped."

"Hmmm, not enough time for another movie before we have to get ready for dinner with your family. Which, by the way, I'm still freaking out about."

"Don't."

"Not sure there's any help for it. Can we just stay like this for a little bit?" I asked. I just wanted to spend some more time curled up against him…

"Yeah, Babe."

"Thanks."

After that we were quiet for nearly half an hour and to my amazement it was Ranger that finally broke the silence.

"Babe?"

"Yeah, Ranger?"

"I told you before, that you're the only woman that's been to my apartment, and I don't take women to dinner with my family."

When he paused, I half nodded, half nuzzled his chest to let him know I was listening.

"What I'm getting at, is they're going to think you're my girlfriend."

That wouldn't be so bad, I thought. That would mean we had a relationship… I just nuzzled his chest again.

"When they ask, I want to tell them you are my girlfriend."

This made me lift my head and meet his eyes which were watching me carefully.

"You want to lie to them?" I asked.

"No, Babe, I want it to be the truth."

"Huh?" I croaked. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

"Babe, my life isn't as dangerous as it was. If I'm honest with myself, it's been getting less dangerous for the last two or three years. I still carry two guns and a knife, but I think we can make it work. Please, tell me you'll let us give it a try."

"Yes," I managed to get out, before flipping over and wrapping my arms around his neck. I caught his lips in a sweet kiss and I don't know how long it went on, but suddenly we were interrupted by throat clearing.

"How do they do that?" I asked Ranger, resting my forehead on his chest.

"Not sure, Babe. You guys need something?"

"Nope, just coming up to check you two are still alive and we're still on for dinner. We called, but you weren't answering your phone," Tank said.

"That's what happens when I turn it off," Ranger said.

"Why would you do that?" Lester asked.

"Steph and I took the day off. I didn't want interrupted."

He left his phone off? So we wouldn't be interrupted? Wow. "Thank you," I whispered kissing his jaw quickly.

"Sure, Babe."

"Uhh, just out of curiosity, what's up with you two?" Tank asked.

"Steph's my girlfriend now," Ranger said smiling, and somehow, he managed not to sound like he was still in junior high…

"So you both finally figured it out did you?" Bobby asked laughing.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You've both been wandering around like love struck teenagers since we got back, and you've been nearly inseparable," Lester said.

"Maybe," Ranger admitted. "Now you've seen we're alive, and yes we're still going to dinner… So go start getting ready."

"Fine, we'll see you turtledoves in an hour," Tank said.

"Bye, boys," I said, giving them a finger wave from my perch on Ranger's chest.

Once they were gone, I snuggled back in. Wow, Ranger and I were together. Wow. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it would be this easy, but God, I was glad it was.

"Babe," Ranger said after a minute, "you need to get in the shower if we're going to be ready to go on time."

"Come with me," I whispered, taking his hand as I stood.

"I'd love that… but, I want to take this slow. Neither of us have the greatest track record with relationships, we both need to be sure."

Nodding, I softly kissed the hand I was holding. My hormones sure as Hell didn't like it, but I appreciated it. Something told me that whatever was between Ranger and I was different from anything I'd ever experienced, and if we didn't work, it'd hurt more than anything else, also.

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A little over an hour later, I found myself squished in the back of a Bronco between Tank and Bobby. I'd let Lester sit up front since his leg was still sore, and now I was wondering how the three of them had planned to fit…

All four guys were doing the zone thing, and it really wasn't helping my nerves. I mean I was nervous enough about meeting Ranger's family when he was going to introduce me as a friend/co-worker. Now he was going to tell them I'm his girlfriend… I'm his girlfriend, there goes the goofy smile again. I wonder how long this is going to last, 'cause I can't go around like this for the rest of my life… Ranger and I. Together for the rest of my life? Not ready for that, I need some distraction.

"So, you guys know Ranger's family pretty well?" I asked, swinging my head back and forth between Bobby and Tank.

"Yeah, Bomber," Bobby answered, then went back to silence.

"More please."

"We all met in basic, and none of us but Ranger had a family or family we wanted to go home to, so Ranger brought us home with him. We were kind of nervous, but Mama Gloria loved it and welcomed us into her family with open arms," said Tank.

"Babe, I told you not to worry. My family isn't that scary."

"Besides, Sweetheart, even if you wanted to worry, you're out of time. We're here," said Lester with a grin.

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A/N: Hope you liked it! This chapter was supposed to be dinner, but what can I do. I read over it and liked it so I didn't change it. Please Review!! Tell me what you think!!


	14. Chapter 13

They're not mine, and I'm not making any money…

CHAPTER 13

Okay, dinner with Ranger's family. I can do this. First step, get out of the Bronco. Never mind, scratch that, I can't do it.

And then I was flying through the air and slung over a massive shoulder.

"TANK! Put me down!" I yelled, kicking my feet. "Do you know how long I spent getting ready?"

"Are you going to come peacefully?" he asked.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Then peaceful it is," I agreed. "Now, please put me down."

"You should have just asked nicely in the first place," teased Lester as I was lowered to the ground.

"Are you all tormenting my woman?" asked Ranger, slinging a protective arm around my shoulders.

"Your woman?" I countered, looking up at him.

"Just checking the feel of it, Babe."

"I think I like it," I said relaxing into him.

They'd effectively distracted me all the way up the path to a pleasant, two-story house. Looking around, I saw we were in a nice neighborhood just outside of Trenton, but not quite the suburbs.

Before I knew it, Bobby had the door open and the guys were in. Ranger gently steered me into the foyer, planting a small reassuring kiss in my curls as he shut the door behind us.

"If you were all as smart as you think you are, you'd run for it now," said a smiling, Ranger look-alike, entering the room.

"Running only makes it worse, man," said Tank, doing the manly hug thing with Ranger's… brother?

"Yeah Babe, this is my brother, Antonio," Ranger said, pushing me forward. "Tonio, this is Stephanie Plum."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, holding out my hand. See, I can do good manners when I try.

"No, the pleasure is all mine. I was wondering if Ric would ever bring you around."

I was about to ask what he meant by that when the decibel level in the foyer went up a couple hundred notches as a pack of kids came racing in from the opposite end. They nearly passed straight through, before they noticed Ranger and the Merry Men, which caused the noise to go up even further as they changed direction.

Before I knew what was happening, Tank had one clinging to his back, Ranger a child attached to each leg, and another was trying to monkey-bar from Bobby onto Lester.

"Ranger?" I asked cautiously. Never in a million years could I have imagined a bunch of children swarming the guys like this.

"These are my nephews and niece, Babe. I'll introduce you once we find everyone else. Get all the introductions out of the way at once."

"Okay," I said meekly. I can do this. I can do this. I just had to keep chanting.

"Come on, the girls are in the living room," Antonio said, taking my arm from Ranger and steering me through a door.

"Stephanie," I heard, before I made it two steps into the room. I immediately recognized Mira from the other day. "It's nice to see you again. Please, sit, relax," she said, steering me to a couch to sit beside her. I went even though I really didn't want to be separated from Ranger. "This should be good," she whispered into my ear, throwing a look at Ranger and the guys who had made it into the room.

An older woman was waking across the room and she stopped in front of Ranger. She spent a moment glaring at him, as if checking for obvious injury, before wrapping him in her arms. Then, when she drew away, she slapped him upside the head.

As a rapid stream of Spanish came out of her mouth, I saw Ranger cringing. After a few minutes she smacked the other guys on the arm, head, chest, etc and directed her wrath at them. I know I'd been working on Spanish with Hector, but there was no way I could keep up with what she was saying. From the looks on the guys faces, I'm not sure I would have wanted to…

"You want a recap," asked Mira, as it was dying down.

"Uh, sure."

"Basically, they're idiots, Mama was worried, they're going to drive her to an early grave, they're idiots, they could have been killed, she should kill them for not calling. That's about the gist of it."

"Thanks, I couldn't keep up."

"You speak Spanish?" she asked, surprised.

"Not well, I'm still learning," I said.

Looking up, I noticed Ranger coming towards me, holding his mother's arm. 'Here we go,' I thought.

"Babe, I'd like you to meet my mother, Gloria Manoso. Mama, this is Stephanie Plum."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Manoso," I said standing to shake her hand.

"None of that nonsense dear, call me Gloria," she said drawing me into a hug. Pulling away, she clapped her hands together loudly to get the attention of the room. "Everybody, this is Stephanie Plum, Stephanie, this is… everybody. I'll let Ric take you around for introductions, now I have to go check on dinner. It's about ready."

"You okay, Babe?" Ranger asked as his mother disappeared.

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah, Babe," he said, giving me a smile. "Come on, I better introduce you before my sisters attack."

"And why would they do that?"

"Babe, they've been dying to meet you since the first 'Bombshell' story was told. You've had three little birdies telling tales for a while now," he said nodding at Tank, Lester and Bobby's retreating forms.

"Okay, then. Let's do this."

"You'll do fine, Babe."

With that, he took my hand and led me to where Mira had joined four other women. The way they quieted up as we approached let me know they'd been talking about us and I got a squirmy feeling in my stomach. Seeing my discomfort, Mira sent me a small smile from behind her sisters' heads. I sent her a weak one in return.

"You've already met Mira, Babe. She's the baby," here she glared at him, but he just continued. "Next is Elisa, her fiancé Connor won't be here tonight. You'll have to meet him some other time." That definitely implies he's bringing me back… That's good right?

Elisa was a slightly taller version of Mira. While they looked very similar, Mira had a more chic style, while Elisa seemed to have an earthy, boho thing going on.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said taking my hand.

"You know, everyone's been saying that. It makes me wonder what the guys have been telling you."

"Don't worry," said the woman beside Elisa, "it's been mostly good. I'm Maria, Tonio's wife."

Shaking her hand, I noticed she did look different from the other women in the group. She had the same Latino coloring, but not the same facial features as the Manoso sisters.

"And beside her is Adalia," said Ranger, pointing to a woman who had that Burg mother vibe. The one that lets you know you're not getting away with anything no matter how hard you try…

"It's nice to meet yo-," she was saying, but was cut off by a loud 'MOM' from another room. "Duty calls," she said with an impressive eye roll, and she was gone.

"And last, but not least, this beautiful lady is Celia," Ranger said, indicating a small, but very, very pregnant woman.

"Thank-you, Ric, I was starting to feel like an oversized balloon. It's good to meet you Stephanie," she said, reaching up to take my hand. "I'd stand, but gravity has me down here…"

"You just stay there, I still have to do a few more introductions before dinner," said Ranger.

He steered me away from the group and I gave them a finger wave, wondering what was next.

"Almost done Babe," Ranger said, squeezing my hand.

He led me down some stairs to a finished basement where we found Lester, Bobby, Tank, Antonio and three other men.

"Babe, this is my father, Manuel," Ranger said, indicating an older version of himself and Antonio. "Papa, this is Stephanie Plum."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Ranger's father said, "the boys didn't do you justice."

"Thank you, Mr. Manoso," I replied, blushing slightly.

"Manuel, please," he said.

"Manuel," I agreed.

"And these are my brother's in law, Ben and Teodoro," Ranger said. "Ben is married to Celia and Teo is married to Adalia."

"It's nice to meet you both," I repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. Thank God, I grew up in the Burg, or I'd never keep all these people straight.

Right about then, the screaming kids came rushing into the basement, two boys chasing the little girl and a toddler following as best he could.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy," screamed the little girl, climbing up Teo, "they have a spider! Make Pedro stop chasing me, please. Please Daddy!"

"Pedro, what have I told you about teasing your sister?" Teo asked.

"Not to," replied one little boy.

"Good, now knock it off, or you won't get any of Abuela's dessert."

"Yes, Papa."

By then, the little girl had climbed down from her father and was tugging on Ranger's pant leg. When she had his attention, she made a motion for him to pick her up. She put her mouth to his ear and in a child's whisper said, "Uncle Ric, who's that lady?"

"Sweetheart, this is Stephanie. Babe, this little angel is Pilar and the little devil that was chasing her, is her twin brother Pedro."

"We're six," said Pilar proudly.

"But I'm 17 minutes older," said Pedro

"I'm this many," announced the little guy beside Pedro, holding up four fingers.

"That's Diego, Babe, he's Teo and Adalia's youngest and his brother's partner in crime. Huh Sweetheart?" he asked Pilar.

She just nodded from the safety of Ranger's arms.

"And last is Nathanial, but we call him Nat. He's Ben and Celia's, and he's about to be a big brother, right buddy?" Nat just nodded up at Ranger and smiled. "That's all the kids that are up walking. Tonio, has a daughter, but she's probably napping somewhere. How old's Alva now?"

"Six months last week," said Antonio, smiling.

At that point we heard someone yell "Dinner" down the stairs, so Ranger took my hand and led me up to a large dining room. I ended up sitting between Ranger and Gloria, but as long as I didn't get separated from Ranger, I figured I'd be okay.

Before I knew what was happening, Gloria was dishing large amounts of what looked to be some sort of stir-fry onto everyone's plates. I was trying to figure out what all was in it when Ranger squeezed my arm and gave me a look that asked if it would be okay. I just nodded, it looked okay, and I hadn't been sick for almost a week. In fact, dinner smelled delicious.

And it was, I had to work not to moan with the first few bites. From the corner of my eye I saw Ranger looking at me with that half smile of his. There are times his ESP isn't so great.

"So, Stephanie," said Adalia, who was sitting across the table, "Ric and the guys, never said how you all met."

"Well, I met Ranger when I started bounty hunting and needed some help. Connie, who manages my cousin's bonds office, set up a meeting. And I met the guys on a job with Ranger."

"And I didn't think she was any fun back then," teased Lester. "Little did I know…"

"So, does that mean the stories the guys tell are true?" asked Ben.

"What have they been telling you?" I asked, warily.

"Did you really blow up Ric's Boxter?" queried Antonio.

"It wasn't my fault," I stated. They had to start with one my more painful escapades. The guys just laughed, but Ranger's family looked curious, so I had to tell them my version of the story. And that's how most of dinner went, with someone asking if a story was true and me giving the slightly less spectacular version than the guys told. All in all though, Ranger's family just seemed awed that there was any truth, and to be honest, I understood the feeling.

Once dinner was over, Gloria headed into the kitchen to get dessert. Ranger was drawing circles on my back with his fingers as we watched Lester and Bobby goofing off… And that's when it happened, the question I had been dreading.

Pilar climbed into Ranger's lap and asked, "Uncle Ric, is Stephanie your girlfriend?"

It's really amazing how quickly a room can go silent. Gloria had just emerged from the kitchen so every eye was on us.

"Yeah, Sweetheart, she is," Ranger said calmly, addressing only Pilar.

"Ewww, you're gonna get cooties," said Pedro, who was sitting beside Ranger.

"I hope so," Ranger replied with a smile.

Pedro just looked at Ranger like he was crazy, before going to sit with Tank, who was obviously much saner than his uncle.

Gathering my courage, I looked up to see Ranger casting his eyes around his family, assessing the situation. Doing the same, I saw a bunch of smiles as everyone reacted to the news. Suddenly, everyone was talking again. Gloria, seemed to realize she was still holding dessert, and started passing out serving of flan. When she sat one in front of me, I think she said something, but it was all I could do to swing panicked eyes to Ranger.

"This way," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me from my seat.

We barely made it to a small bathroom, before I lost dinner as Ranger held my hair and rubbed my back.

"Thank you," I croaked, sitting up when I was done.

"Here," he said, handing me a glass of water. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I guess I just got sneak-attacked by a super sugary dessert."

"Babe, only you," he said, leaning in to kiss me, but pulled away a few inches from my mouth. "We need to find you a toothbrush."

I just groaned and dropped my head to his shoulder while he dug through a drawer. I didn't sit up until he poked me in the shoulder and handed me a new toothbrush.

"Can I have my kiss now?" I asked once my mouth was all fresh and minty.

"Yeah, Babe," he said, leaning in and kissing me. It started out sweet, but somehow I ended up straddling Ranger's lap with his hand up my sweater. Then there was a knock on the door.

"Is everything alright?" someone asked from outside.

"Umm, yeah, fine…" I stammered, pulling away from Ranger, blushing.

"We'll be out in a minute," Ranger called, more composed than me. Instead of blushing, he was shaking slightly with silent laughter. I just smacked him on the chest before resting my head there.

"I can't believe we were making out in your parents house."

"Neither can I. Come on, lets get out of here."

We found the family sitting in the living room. They stopped talking as Ranger sat down on a couch and pulled me to sit beside him.

"Is everything okay, Stephanie?" asked Gloria.

"Yeah, just a touch of 'morning sickness.' And here I thought the nausea was over," I said, not thinking.

"Morning sickness?" asked Adalia.

"Your pregnant?" said Elisa.

"Ummmm," I had no idea what to say. Ranger and I hadn't really gotten around to talking about the whole 'I'm pregnant' thing in relation to us being together.

"Ricardo, was this something you were planning on telling us," asked Gloria.

And here is where things get sticky, I thought. Looking around, I saw the guys sitting back to enjoy the show, waiting to see how Ranger and I would handle this. Jerks.

"Congratulations, Ricky," said Antonio, standing and clapping Ranger on the back. It was pretty obvious he was trying to defuse the situation. I didn't know how to tell him that he wasn't helping.

"Uh, not quite," Ranger said, quietly.

"What?" asked Antonio.

"I'm not the father," said Ranger. He suddenly looked like he wanted to break something, so I thought it would be a good time for me to chime in.

"The father and I had an on-again-off-again relationship for the past two years, but it's over now for good. It was over before I realized I was pregnant. There's been something between Ranger and I for quite a while now and we thought we owed it to ourselves to explore it." I didn't feel like offering any more of the story for explanation, so I didn't. They could ask about anything that was important to them.

I'm not sure what I expected. I know my mother and sister would have started throwing questions and a few accusations. There was no way they would have reacted like Gloria did. She completely shocked me, by pulling me once again into her arms.

"Well, dear, I still think some congratulations are in order. I hope you and Ric's explorations go well."

Shit, I was tearing up. Can I blame it on pregnancy? I was completely touched by the woman. I was living with her son, but pregnant by another man and she was being supportive.

"I hope so too," I sniffed.

"I think they will," she whispered in my ear. "Between you and me, I haven't seen Ric this relaxed in years. You're good for him. Thank you."

I just gave her a weak smile before lifting my eyes to the rest of Ranger's family. I sighed in relief when I realized they all shared the same sentiments.

"Proud of you, Babe," Ranger said, coming behind me and wrapping me in his arms.

We stayed like that the rest of the evening. His family congratulated me and us, and then they let the situation go without beating it to death. The rest of the night was spent talking, laughing and playing with the kids. My pregnancy was only brought up again when Celia got some cramps and joked about what I had to look forward to. I think I'm really going to like these people.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's been reading, I hope you liked it. This chapter was a lot of fun to write. Let me know how I did with the Manoso Family! Please Review!!!!


	15. Chapter 14

They're still not mine, I'm not making any money… Sorry this chapter took forever. The holidays were insane, and then I got hit with writer's block  Anyway, hope you like it!

CHAPTER 14

"Mmm, no," I grumbled as Ranger gently poked me awake. I could hear my cell phone ringing, I just preferred to ignore it and go back to napping on Ranger's chest… he's so comfy.

It was Sunday afternoon, and we were spending it the same was we had for the last three Sundays. In the apartment, doing nothing. And amazingly enough, I think I might even be convincing Ranger of the benefit of taking a day off once in awhile…

"Babe, it's your mom," Ranger said, sitting us both up and handing me the phone.

"What?" I croaked. My mother still hadn't relented or forgiven me yet for messing up with Joe, getting pregnant and moving in with Ranger. She still didn't know that Ranger and I were together or that I was getting excited about becoming a mother. Val had offered a few times to talk to Mom for me, but I refused to talk to her through someone else. If she wanted to know how I was doing she would have to let me back into the family.

"Hello," I said, opening my phone.

"Stephanie, this is your mother," it really hadn't been so long that I wouldn't recognize her voice, but I didn't think this would be a good time to point that out.

"Oh, hi Mom," I said, still not sure what she wanted.

"I'm making pot-roast and pineapple upside down cake for dinner this evening. I expect you here at six. Are you still living with that Ranger?"

"Uh, yeah," I answered, completely dazed.

"Well, bring him with you. Six o'clock Stephanie. I will see you tonight, goodbye."

"Bye," and she hung up.

I closed my phone and turned to Ranger. It had finally happened, she'd forgiven me. She hadn't come out and said the words, but she'd invited me to dinner. In Plum-world a dinner invitation means you are in my mother's good graces. The girls had been reassuring me that she'd forgive me eventually, but I'd begun to loose hope. As much as I complained about my mother, I would kind of like to be able to talk to her. Ella has been great, but there have been a few times when I've had some sort of hormonal breakdown and just wanted to be able to talk to my mom.

"Babe?" Ranger asked once I had been sitting silently for awhile.

"We're expected for dinner with my family at six," I said, still sounding somewhat shell shocked.

"Alright," he said, taking the phone I had clenched in my hand and laying it on the end table. Then he leaned back and pulled me into his arms again before closing his eyes.

"Ranger!" I said, swatting his chest. "More Sunday-afternoon relaxation lessons … A call like that from my mother means no more time for relaxation. Time to freak out. What are we going to do?"

"Shhh, Babe. It's going to be fine. We're going to finish our nap, then get up and get ready for dinner with your family. I've been to dinner with them before, they're not that bad. It will be alright."

"Ranger…" I said, still uncertain.

"Babe, is any amount of fretting going to change whatever your mother is going to say tonight?"

"No."

"Okay," he said, pulling me back to himself and kissing my forehead. "Then there is no use in worrying. Now relax so I can go back to sleep, I think I'm starting to like this napping stuff."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

About three hours later, Ranger and I were taking the elevator down to the garage and I was again having reservations. I hadn't spoken to my mother in weeks, I had no idea what she was planning, but I was sure it was going to involve a lecture. I was also going to have to tell her I was with Ranger. I really hoped she'd take that well… she'd really freaked when she thought he was the baby's father.

"Babe, I smell rubber," teased Ranger, enfolding me in his arms and nuzzling my head.

"Fretting again," I said, melting into him.

"It. Will. Be. Fine," he said, enunciating each word. God, the man has the patience of a saint. While getting ready, I must have freaked out a half a dozen times, but he had calmly repeated it would be fine each time.

"Thank you," I said, turning in his arms and pressing my lips to his.

"Any time, Babe," he replied, walking us out of the now open elevator doors. "Which car do you want to take?"

Knowing he was trying to distract me, I decided to play along. "The Turbo, I'm not going to fit in it much longer, might as well enjoy it while I can."

"In that case, do you want to drive?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, I didn't have the best record with his cars…

"Babe," was all he said, as he pressed the keys into my hand.

Taking the keys, I threw my arms around his neck and smacked a playful kiss to his lips. "You are a wonderful man," I told him, before letting go and jumping into the driver's seat. "Are you coming?" I asked poking my head out the door to see him still standing by the car.

"Yeah," he said smiling as he climbed into the passenger's side of the car.

Turning the key, I listened to the engine purr to life and smiled a contented smile as I put the car in gear. The trip to the burg was short and smooth and over before I knew what had happened. I was inclined to just circle the block and go for a ride around Trenton in this wonderful car, but a look from Ranger told me he knew what I was thinking and wasn't going to let me get away with it, so I put the car in park.

I kept my eyes on the steering wheel, for quite awhile. I knew my mother and grandmother were at the door watching, I could feel them. I stubbornly refused to lift my eyes until Ranger opened my door.

"Come on, Babe," he said reaching down and removing one of my hands from the wheel. He gave me a gentle tug, and I reluctantly stood. "We have to go in. I'll hold your hand, how about that?" he teased giving me a 200 Watt smile.

"Okay, but only if you hold my hand," I said back, with a weak smile, and took his hand in mine.

When Ranger started to walk, I walked with him, up the path and through the door my mother had held open for us. During that walk I swallowed my nerves and fear. I had made the decision not to conform to the Burg, my mother knew that and she was not happy about it, but it's my life to do with what I want. Ranger must have felt my new resolve, because he squeezed my hand as we walked into the house.

"Stephanie, Ranger," my mother greeted us.

"Hot damn!" chirped up Grandma Mazur. "Ellen, you didn't tell me Steph's bounty hunter friend was coming to dinner."

"Mother, behave," Mom scolded quietly.

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Grandma. "I missed all the fun last time you were here Steph and you haven't been around the Burg much so just for clarification… you got yourself a little Morelli in there?" she said indicating my belly.

"Grandma, you can tell the girls at the Clip 'n' Curl that the rumors are definitely true. I'm pregnant. But it's not a little Morelli, it's a child that happened to be fathered by Joe."

"Good for you, Sweetie," Grandma said before giving my belly a pat and tottering off.

"Really, Stephanie! Giving your grandmother permission to go off telling stories? You should hear the rumors flying as it is."

"Mom, the rumors are just that, rumors. And most everyone knows that there is only a grain of truth in what they're hearing since I haven't been around. Let Grandma have some fun with having 'cold hard facts'," I said.

"You should have tried harder to convince Joseph to marry you instead of that other woman. I saw Angie Morelli in the deli the other day and she was telling me all about how happy they are. That could have been you, you know?"

I felt Ranger tense beside me, so I took my turn giving his hand a reassuring squeeze before answering my mother.

"No, Mom, it couldn't have been me. Joe and I wouldn't have worked. We would have killed each other. I'm glad he's happy, but I'm also glad he's no longer in my life," I said. Before she could say anything else, I gave Ranger's hand a tug and we walked into the kitchen where I found my dad carving the roast for dinner.

"Hi, Daddy," I said, wrapping my arms around him from behind.

"Hey, Pumpkin. I'm about done here, and then I'll give you a proper hug."

"Okay," I said letting go of him. I'd really missed my dad since I hadn't been coming for dinner. He never said that much, but he supported me no matter what.

"Alright, now let me get a good look at you," he said holding me at arms length once he was finished. "You look good. Have you been okay? Been healthy?"

"Yeah, Daddy," I said as he pulled me into a tight hug.

"And you've been taking care of her?" he asked over my shoulder, addressing Ranger for the first time.

"Not as well as I'd have liked, sir," said Ranger, sounding guilty again.

"Meaning?" asked my Dad, now holding me protectively to his side. Stupid testosterone, I thought, and was about to intervene when Ranger answered.

"Three of my men and I were called on a mission a few days after Steph found out she was pregnant. We were gone for over a month."

"Is this going to be a frequent occurrence?"

Wow, this is embarrassing. My Dad's grilling Ranger like we're a couple of teenagers and he's the first guy I brought home. Wait a minute, this shouldn't be embarrassing. Dad's just being over-protective… Ranger's over-protective, once they get on the same wavelength things should be fine.

"No, sir," Ranger was answering. "That was the last mission for the guys and me. We're full-time civilians now."

"Good man," said Dad nodding and shaking Ranger hand now. Ranger just smiled and shook back. Men.

"Frank," called my mother as she entered the kitchen. "Are you done carving the roast?"

"Yes, dear."

"Okay, then I'm going to start getting dinner on the table. It's almost six, Val, Albert and the girls should be here any time."

"Val and crew are coming?" I asked, stepping away from my dad finally. This was going to be a bigger circus than I had thought.

"Yes, now Stephanie you can start setting the table," Mom replied.

"What can I do to help?" Ranger offered.

"Nothing, you are a guest. You can go sit in the living room with Frank until dinner is ready."

I'll give my mom credit, she's good. She had successful separated Ranger and I and gotten me alone with her in the kitchen. I took as long as possible setting the table and had just gone to face my doom in the kitchen when I was saved by the arrival of Val and family.

"Here," said Val, thrusting Baby Lisa into my arms without even a greeting. "A five minute car trip and Mary Alice managed to throw up all over Angie. MOM! Do you still have any of the girls' clothes here?" and Val was off and I had a baby. What do I do with a baby?

I could hear Val and my Mom cleaning up the girls, so I wandered into the sitting room where I found Dad in his arm chair, Ranger on the couch and Albert sitting nervously on the loveseat.

"You'd think I'd be used to barf with how much Lisa throws up, but I thought I was gonna lose it when Mary Alice threw up in the van," Albert was saying. "I guess kid barf is different than baby barf, because that doesn't bother me at all any more. Do you think she's okay? She sounded really sick."

"Kids get sick. She'll be fine," said my dad calmly.

I'd been standing in the doorway watching. Albert looked like he was about to start rambling again when Ranger turned he head to me.

"Babe, you look good like that," he said indicating the baby as he stood and steered me to the couch where he had been sitting.

"Uh, thanks," I said, still trying to figure out what to do with my niece. I had pretty much avoided holding her and all babies most of my life.

"Like this, Pumpkin," said my dad, coming over and gently showing me how to hold her. "You don't have to worry about her head so much; she's old enough to hold it herself. Just relax, you're not going to break her." With that he chuckled and went back to his chair. He couldn't be so good as to take his granddaughter, could he?

"Thanks, Dad," I said, resigning myself to holding the baby. I really hadn't gotten past the being pregnant part of my pregnancy book. Probably at some point I should read about what to do with a baby.

Just as I was getting comfortable, smiling as Ranger and Dad compared Army stories, I heard Mom, Val and the girls come back downstairs.

"Okay, lets eat dinner before the roast get any drier," Mom said, coming into the living room and shooing us. I felt a sort of strange sadness when she took Lisa from my arms as I walked by, but chalked it up to hormones and continued to the dining room.

Dinner was not going badly at all, I thought fifteen minutes into it. Mom and Val were on the safe topic of cleaning products, Albert wasn't talking, and Mary Alice seemed to be keeping her toast down and Grandma was chattering quietly about her latest hottie. I shot a glance at Ranger and smiled because we were both picking at the hearty, but not so healthy, dinner my mother had prepared. When he returned my smile, I went back to eating my green beans and picking at my potatoes.

"Stephanie!" said my mother suddenly.

Uh oh. What did I do? "Yes, Mom?"

"You're pregnant," she said, like I didn't know. "Why are you picking at your food like that? You need to eat to keep that baby healthy."

"I do eat, Mom. I just have been craving healthy food, like veggies and yogurt."

"I think I hate you," said Val, who was still fighting off the last of the weight she had gained during her gravy binges while pregnant with Lisa.

"Believe it or not Mom, I've been very healthy so far. I have another doctor's visit tomorrow and she'll tell me if I haven't been eating right or enough." Speaking of Dr. Cooper, that reminded me, I had thrown the ultrasound from my last visit in my bag. Now seemed like a good time to distract Mom with it.

"Alright," said my mom, not convinced.

"That reminded me, I have a picture of the baby," and she and Val were successfully distracted, score another point for me.

"You always were good with distraction," Ranger whispered, leaning in and kissing the shell of my ear.

That was the first public display of affection between Ranger and I this evening. Mom and Val were too distracted to notice and Dad just gave a satisfied nod, but I wasn't lucky enough that Grandma didn't notice.

"I knew you didn't get so many of my genes for nothing, Steph," Grandma exclaimed. "You landed yourself a Hottie!"

"What?" said my mother, looking up at me. Shit.

"Yes, Grandma, Ranger and I are together now," I said, putting off addressing at my mother.

"Why me?" cried my mother. "You loose Joseph, find out your pregnant by him, and now you're living in sin…again!"

"There's no 'in sin' yet," I muttered to myself, before addressing Mom. "I'm sorry if I've disappointed you, but this is my life. I'll live it how I want. Ranger and I care for one another and we're trying to make a relationship work. You can accept that or not, it's not going to change my mind." I can't believe I did it. I just stood up to my mother.

"I guess I have no choice. Ranger, you are welcome to dinner any time."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The rest of dinner had passed with uneasy chat on safe topics. Mom did her best at accepting that neither Ranger nor I were going to eat dessert, but I could tell she didn't like it. After dinner, Albert took the girls out to play in the yard, Grandma took off to the senior center and Dad invited Ranger out to the garage… I'm not sure I want to know what they're talking about, I'll just tell myself it's more Army stuff. Once dinner was cleaned up, I found myself sitting at the table with Mom and Val. Here we go, the Hungarian Inquisition.

"What are you doing with your life, Stephanie?" asked my mother suddenly.

"Mom?"

"I've accepted that there is no chance of you and Joseph making up this time. But couldn't you have pretended to settle down, maybe in time you still could have found yourself a nice Burg husband. That's not going to happen with you living with that bounty hunter and…"

"Mom, enough. I don't want a 'nice burg husband' if I did, I'd have one by now. And 'that bounty hunter' is called Ranger. I don't care if you don't like him, you'll have to deal with it. I love him, and if I have my way, he'll be around for a long time."

"You love him?" asked Val. I swung startled eyes to her. That had kind of just slipped out. Did I love him? I was sad and worried while he was gone. He made me feel safe and happy and something else that wasn't there with Dickie or Joe… Yeah, I love him.

"Yes," I replied calmly and confidently. I Stephanie Plum was in love with Ranger Manoso… oh, boy.

Before Mom or Val could say anything else Dad and Ranger came back into the house. They were both laughing and Dad was giving Ranger one of those manly back slap things.

"You ready to go, Babe?" Ranger asked, coming up behind me and wrapping me in his arms.

"Uh, yeah," I said, still a little shaken by my very recent revelation. Probably I should tell him, probably I'm not ready.

"Mrs. Plum, thank you for inviting me to dinner," he said, pulling me from my chair while flashing my mom one of his brilliant smiles.

"You're very welcome, come back soon," she replied. I knew that was still just Burg politeness, but it would only be a matter of time until she accepted Ranger. I was pretty sure it's impossible to hold out against him.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Please Review!!! Let me know what you thought! I've had horrible writer's block so any feedback would be very helpful!!


	16. Chapter 15

I don't own anything, I'm not making any money…

CHAPTER 15

What the Hell? I thought, as something pulled me from sleep. I didn't have to pee and I didn't think I had to throw up, but increasing consciousness told me my tummy was acting very funny. Twisting under the arm Ranger had wrapped around me, I managed to get on my back to access the situation, definite funny feeling in the tummy. I hadn't been sick for weeks, but hurried out of bed in case the flippy-floppy feeling in my stomach was the baby disagreeing with the pot roast I had eaten for dinner tonight at my parents.

Crouched over the toilet, ready to loose yet another meal, I felt the flip-flop feeling again. It didn't feel like any of the other times I had been sick, and I certainly had enough experience for an accurate comparison. Focusing on the sensation, I realized I was finally feeling my baby moving around in my tummy!

A huge smile broke across my face and I laughed in excitement as I felt the movement again. "Hi, baby," I whispered, rubbing my belly as I enjoyed the feeling of the movement inside me.

Hurrying from the bathroom, I climbed back into bed and poked Ranger in the shoulder. No reaction. A few weeks ago, I couldn't roll over without waking him, now I could climb in and out of bed to go to the bathroom or get snacks without disturbing him. I tried poking him again, this time in the stomach, but instead of waking, he just reached out an arm and pulled me on top of him. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I spotted my fairy-tale book sitting on the bedside table. Suddenly inspired, I stretched up and pressed my lips to Ranger's. It worked for Prince Charming, and it worked for me, too. Seconds after starting to kiss Ranger I felt him kissing back. Once I had his full attention, I pulled away before _he_ had my full attention and I forgot why I was trying to wake him.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, Babe," he said in a sleep softened voice, as he turned to look at his digital clock, "but it's 3:46 in the morning. Don't you consider that the middle of the night?"

"Normally," I replied, placing another small kiss on his jaw, while practically humming with excitement when I thought about why I was up in the 'middle of the night.'

"So are you going to tell me why you kissed me awake?"

"You didn't wake up when I poked you and I figured if a kiss worked in Sleeping Beauty, I might as well try it," I said nodding at my book.

"Only you, Babe," he laughed, leaning up to press his lips to mine again. "Now are you going to tell me why you needed to wake me up in the first place?"

"Now who's Mr. Curious," I teased. I was incredibly happy and felling playful, so sue me.

"Babe," he growled in a mock-threatening voice.

"Alright, alright," I grumbled, before squirming up and placing a kiss on his nose. "I felt the baby moving!"

Ranger just smiled at me before leaning up and catching my lips once again. While I was distracted he flipped us so he was half beside me and half on top of me with his hand running over my belly. "Is it moving now?" he asked, breaking the kiss.

It took me a minute to come out of the daze he had sent me into, and then another to separate the Ranger induced butterflies from baby movement. "Yes."

"I can't feel anything yet," he said, lying his head down on my chest.

Curious, I grabbed his hand and tried to move it to where I felt the baby. Huh, I thought, when I couldn't find any soft taping to go with my flip-flopping, I guess you can't feel it on that side yet.

"Sorry, I woke you for nothing," I said, feeling bad.

"It wasn't nothing, Babe, you were excited."

I was excited. I'd wanted the man I love to feel the other love of my life. That brought the smile back to my face… I love Ranger.

"Besides, I never thought I'd get to play Sleeping Beauty," teased Ranger, running his hand through my curls.

Sleeping Beauty only wakes with true love's kiss, I mused. This would be a good time to tell him, but the butterflies flocked back and were stronger than ever. We'd watched Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday and a line about 'opportune moments' flashed through my head… Well now or never.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Babe?" asked Ranger, not quite sounding like himself. Huh, guess I threw that at him from nowhere… Oh well.

"I love you," I repeated, a little louder this time, before I lost my courage.

"I love you, too," he whispered, before lowering his lips to mine.

"Thank, God," I said when he drew away. "I've never been able to say that and mean it. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't feel the same way."

"That's definitely not something you have to worry about," replied Ranger, smiling.

This time, when I leaned up and caught his lips in a kiss, I pulled his head down to mine. I used one hand to hold him there and let the other take a field trip across his chest, down his abs and lower. Things were heating up and Ranger's hands began to wander making a small moan escaped my mouth into his. I was just starting to loose the ability for conscious thought when Ranger abruptly pulled away.

"Babe, are you sure?" he asked, hungry eyes meeting mine. It took me a minute to come back down, but eventually I remembered the day we decided to try a relationship. We had agreed to take it slowly until we both felt sure we could make this work.

"Yeah," I replied. "You?"

"Me too," he said, leaning his mouth back in to capture mine.

Oh boy!

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"That tickles," I mumbled, half asleep, as I felt something brushing over my face.

"Babe? You alive, Babe?" I heard. Ranger. I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was smiling, so I peeled my eyes open to see. "Morning," Ranger said, when he saw I was awake. And I was right, he's smiling

"Morning, yourself," I said, now also smiling.

"I thought I'd wake you up before I go running. Are you joining me this morning?"

"I'm not even sure if I can walk," I said blushing as I thought back to last nights activities.

"Poor, Babe. I'll wake you for breakfast when I get back. How's that sound?"

"Like a much better idea," I said, yawning.

"Then go back to sleep," Ranger said, climbing out of bed to grab a t-shirt and pair of gym shorts and pull them on. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Have a nice run," I said, already snuggling into his pillow.

"Thanks, Babe," and with a kiss to my forehead, he was gone.

I tried to go back to sleep. I tried really hard, but it just wasn't working. I took a trip to the bathroom and then to the kitchen for a drink before snuggling back into bed. Still no sleep. Tossing and turning, I started thinking back to last night and ran my hand over my tummy, but baby seems to be asleep... Lucky kid. Then I started thinking about Ranger. Last night had been wonderful, magical even. And he was even sticking around this time.

Wait a minute! As soon as he woke up, he took off for the gym. Shit, I thought, as I felt myself starting to freak out. You love him and he told you he love you, remember? Yeah, but that wasn't exactly the first time he's told you he loves you now is it? I reminded myself. My insecurities were building and I don't think my hormones were helping, because by this point there were tears streaming down my face as I sat hugging Ranger's pillow. At least there's no chance of him sending me back to the scum-sucking asshole this time, I consoled myself. That memory caused more tears to stream down my face and as I sobbed, I heard the apartment door open. Cue more tears.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Ranger asked seconds later as he entered the bedroom and saw my tearstained face.

"Dooon't send sniff meee awwaaay agaiinnnn," I sobbed, throwing myself into his open arms once he sat on the bed.

"Sshhh, Babe, I'm not letting you go anywhere," he said rocking me back and forth until the sobbing stopped. "What brought this on?"

"You woke up and left for the gym. Last time you woke up and left, then you sent me back to the asshole." More tears…

"Sshhhh, Babe," Ranger repeated, running his hands up and down my back. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I wasn't ready for us back then and I don't think you were either. We are now and I'm keeping you right here. I'm so sorry, Babe."

"Thank you," I said, still clinging to him as I calmed down, "but I don't think you get full credit. I'm pretty sure some of this was hormones."

"I still feel bad. Lets go shower and I'll wash off all those tears."

"Okay," I agreed, smiling a little at the prospect. Pulsating shower heads, Bulgari and Ranger… a surefire way to cheer any girl up. Too bad I don't share.

Twenty minutes later, I was fully recovered and Ranger and I were sitting at the bar waiting for Ella to bring breakfast.

"Since you have a doctor's appointment today, how about we take the morning off, then I'll go with you?" suggested Ranger.

"Ranger, you can't just give both of us the morning off because I had a little crying jag."

"Of course I can. I'm the boss," he reminded me.

"Ranger."

"Babe, please, I still feel bad. We can relax, maybe talk or watch a movie. Then go out for lunch before your appointment."

I had just agreed, when Ella entered the apartment. "Good morning," she greeted us in her cheery voice.

"Hi, Ella," I said. "Breakfast smells wonderful. What is it?"

"Egg white and mushroom omelets."

"Yummm. Guess what."

"What dear?"

"I felt the baby moving last night."

"Oh, congratulations," Ella said, smiling as she came to give me a hug. "It feels a little funny at first doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I thought I was sick again for awhile."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Could you feel it yet dear?" she asked turning to Ranger.

"Nope, but not for lack of trying," he said.

"Give it time," she said, before turning back to me. "It didn't keep you up did it dear? Your eyes are looking a little red and puffy."

"No, I had a little crying jag this morning."

"Little?" asked Ranger skeptically.

"From the sounds of things you survived your first mood swing, congratulations," Ella said patting Ranger's shoulder consolingly. "Now you two eat before your breakfast gets cold. Have a nice day."

"You too," we replied as Ella took the tray she had brought breakfast on and left.

"A mood swing," I said. "So this is going to happen again? Now I feel really bad about making fun of Mare and Val for how crazy they got all when they were pregnant."

"It makes me glad I was in a third world jungle when my ex went through it," replied Ranger.

"You were in a third world jungle while your ex-wife was pregnant with your daughter?" I asked incredulous, pausing my fork half way to my mouth.

"Yeah, Babe. Believe it or not, my experience with pregnant women is pretty much limited to my sisters… and my experience with babies isn't much better."

"Huh," I said, continuing with my omelet.

"How about I tell you all about it during our morning off. Then I'll show you some pictures of my daughter."

"Really?" I asked suddenly excited. I'd been curious about his daughter, but never really wanted to ask. That was something he had to share when he was ready.

"Yeah, really," he said smiling at me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

An hour and a half later, Ranger and I were sitting on the couch flipping through one of the photo albums he had retrieved from his office. His daughter, Isabella or Isa, looked like him, but not like. She had the same coloring, shiny, smooth hair and intense eyes as Ranger, but her features were finer and more delicate. In short, she was going to be a beautiful woman, not that Ranger appreciated me telling him that. Or maybe it was the crack about needing bodyguards to keep the boys away.

He flicked quickly through what I call 'Isa, the lost years.' This was the first few years of her life where he was still very involved in his top-secret military organization and doing the missions that kept him away for long periods of time.

He had said that he and the guys would be gone for months at a time, but he didn't mention that there were about three years, while his ex was pregnant and the first two years of Isa's life, where they were gone almost constantly. Apparently, Eva, Ranger's ex, didn't appreciate the constant absence and had an affair. Which Ranger didn't appreciate, hence divorce. She got custody because of Ranger's job, which led Ranger to take even more missions and miss more of his daughter's life.

Around the time Isa was five, Ranger started staying home more and visiting frequently. You could tell just from pictures of the two of them that they were crazy about each other. I had to laugh at all of the pictures of the two of them on vacation with the guys. From the number of picture of Isa helping Bobby and Lester bury Tank in the sand, you'd think he'd learn to stop falling asleep on the beach…

"Ranger, she's adorable," I said, still laughing, as he flipped to pictures of the two of them walking hand in hand on the beach or with her on his shoulders.

"Yeah, she is," he agreed, smiling.

"Does she get to come visit you very much?" I asked. I noticed that there were very few pictures that I could place as being taken in Trenton and even fewer pictures with Ranger's family.

"Not as often as I'd like," he said.

That was when Ranger confessed he'd been trying to get custody for the last two years. Apparently, Eva could run neck-and-neck with Joyce Barnhart for the 'World's Biggest Bitch' award and Ranger wanted to get Isa away from her.

"If I won a custody battle someday," started Ranger sounding a little insecure, "would you mind if Isa came to live with us."

Whoa, heavy stuff, I thought, at the prospect of us living together into 'someday' and at the idea of his daughter coming to live with us.

"Ranger, she's your daughter, you shouldn't have to ask that. And of course I wouldn't mind. It's not like I asked you about brining a child into this mix," I said flicking my eyes to my stomach.

"I like you living with me, Babe, so I want you to be okay with the possibility."

"Thank you for thinking of me, and for the record I really like living with you too," I said pressing my lips to his quickly. "You know, now that you've come to accept pictures in your apartment, you should really put out some of Isa."

"Good thinking, Babe. Help me pick out a few?"

"Of course," I replied, flipping back to the beginning of the album we were looking at.

Half an hour later we had a small stack of pictures selected to have copies made of. "Where are we going to get the copies done?" I asked leaning into Ranger.

"Most of the computers downstairs have photo editing software, so I'll ask one of the guys to do it. How about I run them downstairs and you go start getting ready for lunch?"

"Okay."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I'd never ordered a salad at Rosini's before, and I had been missing out. I mean, I always got the little side salad with my meal, but it was green so I rarely ate it. Ranger and I both ordered Chef salads and I caught myself hoping my eating habits didn't change back to 'normal' once I had the baby because the healthy food really was making me feel better.

Now, I was checking my teeth for lettuce chunks as Ranger pulled the Porsche into a parking space at the hospital. Looking up, I saw we were just about as close to the door as humanly possible and I wondered yet again how he does it.

Walking into the hospital lobby, I saw women openly staring at Ranger. This is just something I have to get used to, I reminded myself as I saw one nurse trip over a chair. It always amazed me how Mr. Aware-of-His-Surroundings was completely oblivious to the female attention he drew. It didn't get any better in the halls and elevator leading to Dr. Cooper's examining room.

Once in the waiting room, Ranger went to the receptionist window to announce us and the poor woman could barely respond. I remembered Dr. Cooper telling me her secretary and receptionist enjoyed Hal's visits, I hope they didn't mind that I brought Ranger this time…

Before I'd even gotten settled, a nurse was poking her head through the door and calling my name. "You wanna come with?" I asked Ranger. He'd missed all this with his daughter and I just wanted him with me.

"Sure, Babe," he said smiling as he stood.

Walking back the hall, the nurse sent us directly into the examining room. Yay, that means no gown this time!

"Hi, Steph," said, Dr. Cooper, entering the room before stopping at the sight of Ranger. At least she didn't trip. "Please tell me this is another co-worker and not the asshole father…"

"Neither of the above," I said laughing. "This is Ranger Manoso, my…" hmmm, boyfriend sounds a little weak, but what to say… "let's just say, he'll be joining us more often from now on."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Manoso," She said, smiling and nodding approval at Ranger's presence in our appointments.

Dr. Cooper did all of the normal checkup stuff like shining lights at me and listening to my heart and lungs, then came the part I was looking forward to. She got out the cold gel and weird wand.

"Lift your shirt please. Are you comfortable with Mr. Manoso being here for this part?"

"Yes," I said nodding, before smiling at Ranger.

"This is going to be cold again," she warned before squirting the gel on my tummy. At least I didn't shriek or squirm this time.

A few minutes later she had the machine warmed up and was sliding the wand around in the gel. "There it is," she said, indicating a small shape that was flipping this way and that. "Can you feel the movement yet?"

"Yeah, I felt it for the first time last night."

"Well, congratulations. You should start showing soon. Everything looks good. Do you want me to print you a new picture of the baby?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright, while that prints, lets get you cleaned up and I have a few tips for you."

"Okay," I said, and had to stifle a laugh when I noticed Ranger paying closer attention.

"Well, you're going to want to start getting in the habit of lying on your left side when you sleep. That will increase circulation and prevent swelling as you grow. It should also help prevent backaches later if you get in the habit now. Everything is going to start growing quickly, so you need to increase the amount of calories you're eating. Try eating nuts and putting things with fat such as olives and avocado in your salads. Finally, if you feel faint, eat fruit to get your blood sugar levels up. That's about. I have it all on a sheet for you that you can pick up from the receptionist when you schedule your next appointment."

"Thanks," I said, I hadn't caught much of that…

"Well, it was nice meeting you Mr. Manoso, and Steph, I'll see you in about a month." And she was off to do more baby doctor stuff.

"Did you catch all that?" I asked Ranger looking up at him.

"Yeah, Babe," he said smiling as he helped me down from the examining table.

"Good, lets blow this popsicle stand," I said leaning up to kiss him.

"Babe?" Ranger asked doing the eyebrow lift thing.

"It means get out of here," I explained.

"Probably you shouldn't talk about 'blowing things' Babe, it makes people nervous. You've been explosion free for a few months now."

"Ha ha, you're very funny. Now lets get out of here. How was that?"

"Much better," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist as we left.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Well, I hope you like it! Also, does anyone remember if I mentioned a month or season for when this was taking place? I read over what I have so far, and couldn't find it, but I could have missed it. If not does anyone know what time of year it was at the end of EoT? If so, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd let me know :P

And as always, Please Review!!


	17. Chapter 16

I don't own them, I'm not making any money…

CHAPTER 16

"You ready to go, Babe?" Ranger asked, standing from his chair and coming to pull out mine as I stood.

"Yeah," I agreed. We'd been out to dinner celebrating the fact that I was officially showing. I was now eighteen weeks pregnant, and my weekly waist measuring had shown a two inch increase in my waistline. That meant I was also celebrating the fact that I wouldn't have to run for quite a while.

"Let's see if we can get you home before you fall asleep," Ranger teased, when he noticed me stifling a yawn as he helped me into my coat.

"Mmmm, I don't think it's gonna happen," I said, leaning back into him.

"Babe," and a light squeeze was all the response I got, before Ranger took my hand and led me to the entrance.

Minutes later, the valet pulled the Mercedes to the entrance and Ranger helped me in before going around to his side. I heard the engine purr to life and we were headed home. I was out like a light before we made it out of the parking lot…

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I love Bulgari, I thought, inhaling deeply as I drifted out of a deep sleep. I kept my eyes shut for a moment, savoring the smell and the feeling of Ranger's 700 thread-count-sheets against my skin. Ranger, himself, wasn't wrapped around me, so I doubted he was still in bed, but I rolled towards his side just to check. Nope, no Ranger.

Opening my eyes, I saw a beige wall and a large dark wood dresser. I'm pretty sure that yesterday the bedroom in the apartment had tan walls and no big dresser, but then Ranger is always telling me I need to be more aware of my surroundings. Still, I don't think I'm quite that bad… Swinging my eyes around the rest of the room confirmed it; I definitely wasn't in the apartment.

My first reaction was that I had been kidnapped, yet again. I instinctively rolled my knees up and wrapped my arms around my stomach to protect my baby, but that didn't feel right. My spidey-sense wasn't tingling and Ranger and I may have showered together last night, but the smell of Bulgari was too strong to be coming from me alone. Ranger had been here, and if we were in any trouble he would still be here or would have woken me before leaving.

That established, I crawled out of bed and noticed for the first time that I was wearing one of Ranger's large, black t-shirts that I had taken to sleeping in. I was almost positive that wherever I was, I wasn't in any trouble and that Ranger was still near. Thinking it would be a good idea to have something on my bottom before I started exploring, I pulled open a dresser drawer and I found a bunch of black t-shirts, not helpful. Another drawer revealed not one pair of black silk boxers, but two. Taking a pair I stepped into them, rolling the waist band to keep them up. Looking in the rest of the drawers showed more Ranger-like clothing so my almost non-existent in-trouble feeling pretty much disappeared. Kidnappers never went to this much trouble to trick me. But where am I?

Cracking one of the two doors and peeking out, I saw a short hallway, so I ventured out of the bedroom. From there, I followed my nose to a kitchen where I found Ranger. He was standing in front of a griddle, flipping pancakes, and I felt a giggle escape me at the sight.

"Babe," he said, turning around at the sound. "You ruined your surprise. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed."

"We can still have breakfast in bed," I replied, crossing the room and pressing my lips to his before pulling away and meeting his eyes. "Ummm, by the way, where are we?"

"The Batcave, Babe."

"You brought me to the Batcave and didn't tell me!" I exclaimed, suddenly paying much closer attention to my surroundings. We'd left the restaurant at about quarter of nine last night and a look at the clock on the microwave told me it was now about eight. I'd been at the Batcave for maybe ten hours and hadn't known it!

"Go explore, Babe," Ranger said, stilling my head to press a kiss to my temple. "I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

"You know me so well," I told him, before skipping off.

I wandered from room to room, taking in everything. There was a lot of dark wood, warm color and comfortable furniture. I could quickly tell from the contents of the rooms that everything in this house was expensive and of good quality. Instead of looking sterile or intimidating, however, it was obvious every attempt had been made to make the house appear welcoming and relaxing. I could completely see Ranger coming here after chasing criminals all day and letting go… loosing the persona.

Spying a comfy-looking, over stuffed couch, I decided to try it out. It was very large, almost uncomfortable for me to try to sit normally in, but definitely Merry Man sized. Just to check out if it lived up to its appearance, I stretched out and twisted around a bit. The only thing that could make it better would be a Ranger-sized pillow. Today was Saturday, and I really hoped we'd spend the weekend here… this would be a great spot for our Sunday afternoon nap.

"You falling asleep on me, Babe?" I heard from Ranger, just as my eyes had fluttered shut.

"Mmmm, not on you," I said a little regretfully, sitting back up and crossing my legs under me.

"That's good. Are you ready for breakfast?"

"Breakfast in bed?" I countered.

"Yeah. Go get yourself in bed, and act surprised when I bring breakfast in."

"Okay," I said, stretching to brush my lips against his as I passed him.

I quickly made my way back to the bedroom and slipped between the heavenly sheets. I curled into a ball, pretending to sleep so Ranger could 'wake' me for his breakfast in bed. But, since it's me and the bed is so comfortable, I fell asleep for real. I woke when I felt Ranger pressing kisses all over my face, I hadn't been asleep long, but I could tell I'd amused Ranger.

"Babe, you didn't have to play along that much," he teased, climbing into bed and settling a tray on his lap and me against his chest where I could easily reach. It couldn't have been the most convenient position for him to eat, but whatever makes him happy…

"So, Babe, what do you think of the Batcave," he asked, once we were working our way through the stack of whole wheat pancakes he'd made.

"I love it, it's cosey," I replied, scooping up a forkful of strawberry topping. "Did you have to disclose the location to have someone decorate?" I really couldn't see Ranger sitting around considering fabric choices.

"Elisa's an interior designer, Babe. She did the house and the 7th floor apartment. She likes to use me as a test dummy for what she calls her 'masculine sophisticate' look."

"It's nice," I told him pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"I'm glad you like it, Babe."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

_Beep beep beep beep…_

Rolling over, I slapped the alarm and stared at the ceiling. God, I hate Monday mornings, I thought. Ranger and I had spent a wonderful weekend at the Batcave, relaxing and enjoying being alone together, but it had to come to an end. We had driven back to the Haywood Building late Sunday night and I now knew the location of the Batcave, although I'd promised Ranger not to reveal it. Today it was back to business as usual. I have a vague recollection of Ranger kissing me awake before telling me he was going running. I couldn't hear him out in the apartment, so I assumed he wasn't back and crawled out of bed, headed for the shower.

I was just about done and rinsing the conditioner from my hair when I felt a blast of cold air. Letting out a small, startled shriek, I spun around to find a sweaty Ranger. Hmmm, seems somebody didn't want to wait his turn for the shower. I was just starting to get pruney, so, wordlessly, I lathered a sponge with Bulgari before handing it to him, kissing him thoroughly and stepping through the sliding glass door into the bathroom.

"Babe," Ranger complained from the other side of the door.

"I was getting pruney, Ranger. Pruney isn't sexy," I told him, wrapping myself in a fluffy towel.

"You're always sexy. Babe."

"I'll remember that for later," I laughed, and exited the bathroom. Truth be told, I was dangerously close to saying 'screw pruney' and joining him, so I removed myself from temptation and went to finish getting ready.

Forty minutes later, Ranger and I were exiting the elevator onto the 5th floor. "Have a good day at work, Honey," I joked; giving him a little kiss before detaching myself from his arms so we could head our separate directions.

"You too, Darling," he replied, before kissing my forehead and stalking off to make the world a safer place.

Well, I better go do my part to contribute to 'world safeness,' I thought, heading for my cubicle. And just as I suspected, there was already a stack of search requests waiting for me. Booting up my computer, I got to thinking… they're search requests. What happens if I just deny them and stick them in my out-box. I wonder what Rodriguez would do if I just got a rubber stamp that said 'denied' and sent his searches back. Maybe I'd finally figure out who he is…

I worked my way through half the stack by lunchtime, and didn't find one I had the heart to deny. Probably the whole denial thing was wishful thinking on my part. At the same time my stomach let out a growl, I felt the baby do a couple of somersaults, so I decided to go find some food. Staring into the break-room fridge, I couldn't find anything that I was hungry for today. I knew if I called Ella she'd make me something different, but I was really craving the steamed rice and veggies Ranger had turned me onto from the one Chinese place downtown. Acknowledging the thought was just too much for me, I called in an order and had it delivered to the bonds office. It had been awhile since I'd seen the girls and forever since we'd had lunch.

"Hey, Ranger?" I said, poking my head through his open office door.

"Yeah, Babe?"

"I just wanted to let you know I'm heading out. I'm having lunch with the girls."

"Have fun and be safe," he said, giving me a smile before bending back over his paperwork. I'd never tell him to his face, but he just looks so cute sitting behind his desk, looking all serious when he's concentrating on something. I spent a few seconds just watching him, until he lifted his eyes to me and gave me a small head shake. Smiling, I sent him a finger wave and flounced away.

I made it to the bonds office in record time, even managing to beat my Chinese. Not that I was really worried either Connie or Lula would eat my rice and veggies… I'd made sure to order plenty of General Tso's, fried rice and egg rolls for them.

"Hey, white girl, we haven't seen you around here in forever," said Lula when I entered the bonds office.

"I know," I said, laughing. "That's why we're doing lunch today."

"Where are we going? I don't see you carrying any food cartons," Lula demanded.

"I ordered Chinese," I explained. "It should be here any moment."

"Alright then," chimed in Connie. "While we wait, why don't you take that coat off and let us get a good look at you? Are you showing yet?"

"Yep," I said smiling proudly as I slid off my coat and lifted my shirt off my belly.

"Is the kid kicking yet?" asked Lula, sticking a hand on my slightly puffy belly.

"Hey, that's cold!" I protested, jumping back. "And yes, I can feel it, but Ranger hasn't been able to feel it yet and neither have any of the guys."

"You've got all those sexy men touching your stomach?" questioned Lula, slightly in awe.

"There are benefits to this pregnancy thing," I joked.

"Hmmm," said Lula, looking a bit too much like she was seriously considering the idea.

"Lula!" Connie and I scolded together.

"What? Those men are fine," she argued.

"Lula, you'd undo all the hard work from your last diet," Connie reasoned. Lula had lost about twenty pounds on her last diet and was pretty proud of the fact.

"I guess you're right girlfriend," Lula conceded.

Right about then the Chinese arrived, so the subject was dropped in favor of more important things, like eating. I paid the delivery boy and we arranged the cartons all over Connie's desk before setting in.

"Steph, you are wonderful," Connie said, grabbing an egg roll and drenching it in duck sauce.

"That you are girl, but you've lost all sense in food," declared Lula, looking at what I was eating and turning away in disgust.

"I can't help it. I'm pregnant," I stated.

"Couldn't you crave something normal like peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches or a cheese coating on everything," teased Connie.

"I have no control."

"What's it like being with Batman?" Lula sprung. I had adamantly refused to share details of Ranger and my relationship and Lula couldn't handle it. She thought if she kept asking at random moments she'd surprise me into answering. It hadn't worked yet.

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna kiss and tell," I said, giving her the same answer I'd given every other time she asked.

"Fine, but one day you will slip up," she declared.

"Maybe," I said.

Once Lula dropped the 'Ranger' subject, we chatted about this and that for quite awhile. Me telling them about the guys' antics at Rangeman, and them updating me on Vinnie's activities, until I couldn't handle any more. There is only so much I want to know about him and Joyce or him and farm animals…

"Well, I better get going," I said, standing and releasing the button on my jeans. I hadn't gown much, but I hadn't had much room to begin with so a biggish meal made me uncomfortable.

"You don't fit in your jeans? Girl we gotta go shopping!" exclaimed Lula.

"Lula, I have to get back to work."

"Girl, you work almost every day. We haven't been shopping in forever," she pouted giving me her version of puppy-dog eyes.

I rolled my eyes, feeling myself give in. It wasn't one of my gun range days with Hector and I only had a few searches left. I'd be able to catch up tomorrow easily if I took a short lunch since I never had that much work by lunch time anyways.

"Let me just call Ranger first and clear it," I said.

Lula shifted into rhino mode so fast I almost missed it. "Batman makes you call him and ask to go shopping. That is sucky boyfriend behavior."

"I'm not calling Ranger my boyfriend to ask to go shopping. I'm calling Ranger my boss to ask for the afternoon off," I explained quickly.

"Oh," and Lula was back to normal.

Lula and Connie argued about some filing that was creating a mountain behind Connie's desk while I called Ranger. He was fine with an afternoon of shopping and as soon as Lula convinced Connie she'd be in bright and early tomorrow to do the filing, we were off.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Lula and I had shopped until about five, then I'd dropped her at the bonds office for her car before heading home to the apartment. I found a Post-It on Rex's cage from Ranger telling me him and the guys had a takedown, so I was on my own for dinner. I called down to Ella to see if she and Luis wanted company for dinner tonight because it had been awhile since I'd visited.

"Oh, let me get a good look at you," Ella cried out, grabbing me as soon as I walked into the apartment. "I heard from the boys that you're showing."

"And they talk about women gossiping," I said laughing, as Ella ran a hand around my belly.

"They are pretty bad," she agreed, letting me go and stepping back for a better look. "You look wonderful, dear."

"Thank you," I replied, as my stomach let out a rumble.

"We better get her fed. I remember what you were like when you were pregnant and hungry," said Luis, giving a fake shudder.

"Oh, stop that," scolded Ella, bustling in front of us to put dinner on.

Dinner was wonderful, and by the time it was over I was full, sleepy and yawning, so Ella sent me upstairs to sleep. When I protested that it was too early to sleep, Ella told me that the baby was tiring me out and for the next few months if I wanted to sleep I should take advantage of it while I could. I agreed.

Ranger still wasn't back, so I settled for pulling one of his t-shirts on before snuggling into bed. I fell asleep immediately, staying in a deep sleep until my bladder drug me awake. Still no Ranger, I thought, rolling to his side, so I climbed out of bed and answered nature's call. Climbing back into bed, I caught sight of the clock and it was 2:00 in the morning. I tried to fall asleep, but tossed and turned and couldn't get to sleep without Ranger. Giving up, I grabbed the latest issue of the baby magazine Ranger had ordered for me and started reading. I figured I needed all the help I could get.

Three articles in, I heard the apartment door open and moments later a weary looking Ranger walked through the door. Looks like the takedown didn't go so well, I thought.

I slid from between the sheets and wrapped my arms around him before leading him to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and stripped us both before shoving him in and washing him carefully while looking for injuries. Not finding anything besides a few bruises I relaxed a bit.

"That bad, huh?" I asked softly, when we were almost done and Ranger still hadn't said anything.

"Yeah, we had some bad intel. The skip wasn't home alone and stoned off his ass, he was home with a bunch of buddies and they were all drunk, mean and thinking they were as big as Tank."

"Are the guys okay?"

"Yeah, Lester got nicked with a knife, but he got stitched up when we dropped the skip and his buddies off at the ER."

"That's good," I said, stepping us out of the shower. It also explained what took them so long. Taking skips means you have to wait awhile for the body receipt, usually give a statement, and get a lecture from the PD on not hurting skips.

I got us all dried off and tucked into bed. Ranger cuddled me into his side and immediately drifted off to sleep. It wasn't long before his even breathing lulled me to sleep as well.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Tell me what you think! I love getting any feedback so Please Review!! Also, thanks for reading, I hope you're enjoying!


	18. Chapter 17

JE owns them, I'm not making any money…

CHAPTER 17

"You're sure?" asked Mary Lou as she dug through Giovianici's

roasts.

"Yes," I answered, for what felt like the hundredth time since she'd picked me up to go shopping this morning.

"I just can't see you being able to stand not knowing if it's a boy or girl," she said, referring to the fact that because of the position of the baby, Dr. Cooper hadn't been able to tell the sex at my last appointment.

"Mare, I'm more than half way done, and I've made it this long without knowing. Actually, I kinda want it to be a surprise."

"Wow, pregnant Steph is like anti-Steph," said Mare. "You eat health food and you're not dying of curiosity."

"The health food I'll give you," I said, laughing at the anti-Steph comment. "But I'm still curious. I've just always liked the idea of the doctor holding up the baby and saying 'it's a boy' or 'it's a girl'."

"Whatever you say," she said, finally selecting a roast for Sunday dinner at her house and turning to pay.

While waiting, I wandered away to look at some of the novelty items Giovianici's always had. That's when I heard a voice behind me say, "So it is true."

Spinning around I found Mrs. Morelli and Grandma Bella giving me twin looks of disgust.

"Of course it's true," I replied, summoning my courage and not bothering to ask what they were talking about. My baby bump was getting pretty visible these days and with my coat unzipped, it was quite obvious.

"I want you to know, that that child is no grandchild of mine," said Mrs. Morelli coldly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I replied, in an equally cold voice.

"Good. I just wanted to be sure we're clear. My Joseph is finally happy, and I don't want you and that child interfering in his life."

"Mrs. Morelli, I believe we finally agree on something," I said. "Neither of us wants Joe to have anything to do with this baby."

After and assessing look, she gave me a satisfied nod, before turning to go about her shopping. Grandma Bella however remained fixing me with her stare.

"You deserve to be given the eye," she said, narrowing her eyes at me, and I instinctively stepped back. "But I will spare you. I may not claim the child as my grandbaby, but it is still an innocent life." With that she turned and joined Mrs. Morelli. Talk about creepy.

"Oh My God," said Mare, coming over to me. "You just faced down Mrs. Moreli_ and _Grandma Bella."

"I know," I said, unable to believe it myself.

"What did she say?"

"The Morelli women want nothing to do with my baby," I answered and even I could hear the relief in my voice. "Let's get out of here."

"Good idea," Mare said, giggling a little as we hurried to her van.

Mary Lou hadn't been able to hear the conversation from her position at the cash register, so I gave her a blow by blow breakdown of what was said. We both knew that the encounter between Mrs. Morelli and I would be all over the Burg within an hour, and Mare wanted all the facts for when people called her with rumors. I just hoped that my 'getting smart' with Mrs. Morelli didn't cause my mother to have a relapse into her old ways. She'd been doing very well accepting my life choices lately.

By the time I was done updating Mary Lou, we were pulling up to the Rangeman building. I called control, had them buzz open the gates and said goodbye to Mare before making my way to the elevator.

Walking into the apartment, I found Ranger asleep on the couch. It was Sunday afternoon and I had skipped our usual Sunday day off because it was the only day Mare had free. I could tell Ranger hadn't taken the whole day off either, because his laptop was on the coffee table, so he had obviously been working.

I took my bags back to the bedroom and dropped them on the bed. I'd put my stuff away later, now I have a nap to catch. Grabbing some sweats, I changed quickly before heading back into the living room. I gently lowered myself onto Ranger and he only woke enough to wrap his arms around me.

I came awake some time later, to gentle hands running back and forth across my belly. The baby would kick and the hands would follow the movement. Smiling, I opened my eyes and twisted to press my lips to Ranger's neck.

"Babe, we have to get up," said Ranger in a voice still slightly husky from sleep. He obviously hadn't been awake long.

"Mmkay," I mumbled with no intention of moving.

"Babe," Ranger said, more insistently this time. "We have dinner with my family. Remember?"

"Oh yeah," I yawned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes as I tried to wake up completely.

"It's time to start getting ready if we're going to be on time," he told me, standing us up and pointing us towards the bedroom.

I looked in the mirror above the dresser and decided I should be able to tame my hair without a shower. I decided to wear one of my new pairs of maternity pants that had an adjustable waist, the smallest setting was still a tiny bit loose, but Mary Lou had assured me I'd grow into them in not time. All of my tops still fit, so I started digging through my sweaters for one I felt like wearing. By the time I was pulling it over my head, Ranger was completely ready to go.

Men have it way too easy, I thought, as I headed into the bathroom to work on my hair and makeup. All my hair actually needed was a flip and fluff and being a Jersey girl I'm a master of makeup, so less than fifteen minutes later, I was joining Ranger in the kitchen.

"Ready, Babe?"

"Yep, let's go."

We took the Turbo, but I wasn't allowed to drive any or Ranger's cars these days. The truck or any of the SUVs yes, the cars no. I still fit in all of them, but he said my belly was just too close to the steering wheel. A slight bump would press it right into the wheel and he wouldn't risk me or the baby getting hurt. I figured he was right so I didn't fight it.

In no time at all, we were pulling up to Ranger's parents' house. The kids, Tonio, Ben, Connor, Teo and even Manuel were all in the yard having a snowball fight so Ranger wrapped his arms around me, shielding me with his body. I probably would have been safer if he had stayed about five feet away, since as soon as the kids, and a few adults, saw him, they started pelting him with snowballs. He did manage to protect me from the worst of it and get me into the house before going back out to 'avenge' himself.

"They're all a bunch of big kids," said Gloria, greeting me, as she watched out the picture window.

"I guess they are," I said, seeing Tonio drop a glob of snow down the back of Ranger's shirt then scoop up little Nat to prevent immediate revenge.

I'd taken off my jacket by now and tossed it on the couch, where there was already a large pile, indicating the rest of the girls were here. I was smoothing my sweater back over my belly when Gloria turned around.

"Oh, let me look at you!" she exclaimed, turning me sideways. "Ric doesn't bring you around enough. You've gotten quite a bump since last time you were here."

"Yeah, I definitely look pregnant now," I agreed, laughing.

"Yes you do. Why don't you head on into the sitting room. The girls are all in there and I should be in once I check on dinner."

Taking a last look at Ranger horsing around with the kids and the guys, I made my way in to see his sisters. They all greeted me, and then went back to talking at the speed of light. They'd fit right into the Burg, I thought as I settled myself on a couch with Celia and Maria who was feeding baby Alva.

"You three make a nice picture," said Mira, cutting through the chatter.

"Yeah, you do," agreed Elisa.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Celia.

"Well, Steph is just sorta pregnant, you look like a balloon Celia, and Maria has a baby…" explained Mira.

"Oh, you two just wait, one day you'll look like balloons too," said Celia, obviously a little miffed about the balloon comment.

"Uh uh, not me," said Mira. "Mama may not like it, but I'm just not the motherly sort."

"That's what I was saying until a little over four months ago," I told Mira, smiling.

"You didn't want kids, Steph?" asked Adalia, looking like that was a totally foreign concept.

"Not until I realized I was pregnant."

"Okay, we need to change the topic. You guys are starting to scare me that I'm gonna wake up and want kids one day," said Mira. I could relate. That's exactly how I would have felt about five months ago.

She didn't really need to worry about a change of topic, because seconds later we heard Gloria yelling 'Dinner' out the door. Then she joined us, saying we'd eat as soon as the guys and kids came in.

The kids trickled into the room, once they'd been divested of their snow gear and the guys followed them, all of them with rosy cheeks. Before I knew what was happening, Ranger scooped me up off the couch and nuzzled his cold cheek into my neck and I let out a small shriek.

"Ricardo, stop picking on Stephanie," scolded Gloria.

"How did you get _my_ mother on _your_ side?" asked Ranger, pretending to pout.

"I'm sorry, baby," said Gloria, laughing, as she reached up to pinch Ranger's cheek and give him a kiss.

"And you wonder why I waited so long to bring Steph around?" asked Ranger. "You people completely ruin my image."

"Oh, you and your image," teased Elisa, wrapping him in a hug from behind. "Someone has to show her you're not a street thug, but the sweetest big brother in the world." This was said in a sickly sweet voice, and Ranger just shook his head, completely resigned.

"Hey," protested Tonio, "what am I?"

"Not the sweetest," said Mira, joining the Ranger hug. "You used to pick on us and put nasty stuff in our hair. Ric tried to protect us."

I felt myself smiling as I thought of mini-Ranger protecting his little sisters. He was glowering at said sisters now, but eased up when he saw that it was having a good effect on me. It's almost like he really was afraid they'd ruin his image…

"Alright, alright. Now you two stop teasing your brother," said Gloria, unable to keep a straight face. "Everyone into the dining room."

Ranger took my hand and we were almost to our seats when I heard a small splash on the hardwood floor behind me. Turning around, I saw Celia standing in a puddle of water, with her eyes wide with shock. Then she suddenly bent over and started making low sounds of pain.

The entire family was started talking and trying to help, but it was just chaos. Suddenly, Gloria let out a loud whistle and told everyone to shut up and stand still.

"Tonio, go get the car started and warmed up," she ordered. "Ben, Ric, come help get Celia out to the car. Adalia, please make sure everyone gets dinner, the floor gets cleaned up and send someone for Celia's bag she was going to take to the hospital, then call and check in on how the labor is going."

As soon as she was through talking, everyone snapped into action to obey her orders. I just stood out of the way. Ten minutes later, Celia, Ben and Gloria were on their way to the hospital, Adalia and Maria had the floor cleaned up and everyone was sitting down to supper. That was when it all sort of sunk in for me and I turned fear-filled eyes to Ranger.

"I don't want to do that," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

Ranger just looked at me and I think for the first time, he had no idea what to tell me or how to make it better. I was starting to get a bit more panicked, when Adalia, who was on my other side, touched my shoulder and very gently turned me to her.

"Steph, I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't hurt. It hurts like Hell and it's beyond frightening. But when your baby is ready to come out, it comes out. They give you really nice drugs at the hospital and when it's all done and over and you look down into your baby's face it's worth it."

I just nodded, accepting that she was right.

"You'll do fine, Babe," Ranger whispered into my ear, as he pulled me closer to himself. "You're strong and brave. You can do it."

I just nodded again and sent him a weak smile. Everyone around the table was silent and it felt a little awkward. I wanted to say something to make everyone feel better but couldn't think of anything. It was a first.

It was Mira who finally spoke up, saying "And that, is why I have no desire to ever give birth."

"You know you could always adopt," Maria teased her. "I'm sure your mother would love an adopted grandchild if it's just childbirth you don't want to do."

"Ha ha, very funny," replied Mira.

The rest of dinner went without a hitch and once it was cleaned up, Adalia called the hospital and talked to Gloria. Celia was about ready to start pushing, so everyone decided to relocate to the hospital.

Adalia started looking for someone to send to get Celia's bag, but it didn't take long to realize no one had a key or knew where a spare was. Then she swung her eyes to Ranger expectantly.

"What?" he asked.

"You're the only one with advanced lock picking skills, which means you get to go for the bag," answered Adalia.

"I am so glad to be useful," he told her, before turning to me. "You wanna ride along, Babe?"

"Sure. See you all at the hospital," I said, following Ranger to get our coats.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Two hours later, I was dozing on Ranger's lap and he was absentmindedly running a hand up and down on my back. We were still in the waiting room, although Ranger had threatened to take me home when I started yawning. I'd put an end to the argument by falling asleep. I was awake now, sort of, and was passing the time by concentrating on the baby kicking. It had been getting a lot more active lately, much to Ranger's fascination. I was just focusing on an especially strong kick, when I saw Ben come through the delivery room doors.

"It's a boy," he announced. The family flocked to offer congratulations, once again all talking at the same time. Once it was established, Celia was fine, but sleeping and the baby was healthy, everyone moved to watch for him to be brought into the nursery.

Standing there, looking at all the babies, I leaned back against Ranger and felt myself go all mushy. That had never happened before. Pregnancy really messes with your head, I decided.

"How are you holding up, Babe?" Ranger asked, wrapping his arms around me and lacing his finger across my belly. I knew he was checking because of how I'd panicked earlier, but I was fine.

"I feel mushy," I told him, honestly.

"Mushy?"

"Yep, like I just want to say 'Awww' and just melt." Then I let out another jaw splitting yawn, just before we saw the baby be brought in. "Awwwww."

"Babe," Ranger said, shaking his head.

My 'Awwww' had turned into another yawn, but I tried to hide it.

"No arguments this time, Babe," Ranger told me. "We saw the baby, and Celia's not going to be awake for a couple of hours. I'm taking you home."

"Ranger, I wan…" I started to protest, but cut myself off with yet another huge yawn. Probably I should let him take me home.

We told everyone goodbye, and before I knew it, I was bundled into the passenger seat of the Turbo. On a normal day, I have very little resistance to those soft, leather seats, so exhausted, I didn't stand a chance. I was asleep before Ranger made it around to his side of the car.

I woke a little when Ranger lifted me out of the car and gave a half-hearted "I can walk," which, thankfully, he ignored and carried me to the elevator.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: I love hearing what you all have to say and getting your feed back, so Please Review!! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading :)


	19. Chapter 18

_Thank you all for reading!_

_I don't own them; I'm not making any money…_

CHAPTER 18

It was Wednesday afternoon, and once again, I was sitting behind my desk, reading my baby magazine. I'd finished my searches about an hour ago and was just killing time before I had to go to the gun range with Hector. Turning the page, I saw an article on baby hearing. I started reading, thinking if I had some facts the guys would stop teasing me about talking to the baby all the time. It seems, around the 23rd or 24th week the baby begins to be able to hear.

"Hah," I said out loud, before having a thought.

I'm 24 weeks pregnant, so the baby can actually hear me and some outside sounds. That would mean it can hear the guns in the gun range. The repeated firing down there is so loud, you have to wear ear protection, and I really didn't want to continue exposing the baby to that. I didn't want it to be frightened by the noise, if it could feel fear already (I was going with yes, just to be on the safe side), and I didn't want it coming out of the womb finding the sound of gunfire soothing.

Standing, I gave myself a minute to get my balance, before taking off for Ranger's office. I'd promised him before he left on his last top-secret mission I'd keep working with my gun, and I had, but I didn't think I could do it any more.

"Hey, Babe, come on in," he said, when I knocked on his office door and opened it, sticking my head in. "What's up?"

"You know how I promised to keep going to the gun range?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I can't go any more."

"And why would that be?" he asked, doing the eyebrow lifting thing.

"I was reading about babies and how they develop their hearing," I said, settling myself on the corner of his desk. "The baby should have started being able to hear within the last week or so, I don't want it hearing the noise in the gun range."

"Hector says you've been doing very well lately, so it's your call to make. If you don't want to keep going to the range you don't have to. It's still Rangeman policy that you carry your gun though, so that doesn't stop."

"I doubted that it would," I said, sighing.

"Come here, Babe," he said, holding out his arms to me.

I was just snuggling into his lap and leaning up to give him a kiss, when Tank walked through the still open office door.

"That is inappropriate office behavior if I ever saw it," he teased.

"Don't care, man," Ranger said, holding me still on his lap. "What do you need?"

"Nothing, I was just walking by and saw Bomber climbing on your lap and couldn't pass up the opportunity."

Not giving him a response, Ranger pulled me to himself and started what Tank thought he was interrupting. I just gave Tank a finger wave over my shoulder, before wrapping my arms around Ranger's neck. Once we heard him leave, we pulled apart resting our foreheads together as we tried to catch our breath and laugh at the same time. Not a good combination.

"I have to get back to my desk," I finally said. "Hector should be around soon and I want to tell him about our lessons."

"Okay, Babe," Ranger, told me, pulling me in for another kiss. "I'm going out in the field this afternoon, so I'll see you at home tonight."

"Mkay," I said, sliding off his lap. I thought about leaning over to give him a last kiss before leaving, but I was having way too much trouble with my center of gravity. Sensing my conundrum, Ranger stood so I could reach him.

"Better, Babe?"

"Yeah," I answered, meeting his lips. "Don't get shot."

"Don't get too crazy," he told me, as I finally left his office.

Back at my cubicle, I found Hector sitting in my chair, spinning slowly in circles.

"Hola, Chica," he said, stopping when he saw me.

"Hola, Hector," I answered, not wanting to tell him about our range time.

"Why so sad?" he asked, reading my face.

Pointing to my magazine, which was still lying open on my desk, I showed him what I had been reading. I could tell it wasn't clicking, so I explained.

"From what this says, my baby can hear now. I don't want it listening to guns."

"Okay, Chica," he said, simply, standing and folding me in his arms. "You know enough now to protect Little One."

"Thank you for understanding," I said, suddenly relieved as I returned his hug.

"No problema," he said, giving me another little squeeze and an 'adios' before leaving.

Sighing, I sat down and started in on a search that had been left. I was going to miss my time with Hector. He was so scary at first, but he'd always been so gentle and we'd had fun together…

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Close to five, I was sitting in the control room with Junior. I'd stopped in to say hi to the guys on my way up to the apartment, when Ram asked me to cover for him while he grabbed a snack. Staring at the monitors and GPS thingies, I had no idea how these guys could do this for hours on end.

"Thanks, Bomber, you're a life saver," said Ram, sneaking up behind me and making me jump. Damn Rangemen, they never make any noise.

"You're very welcome, I fully understand the importance of a snack," I said standing. I was holding onto Ram's shoulder, waiting to get my balance, when I felt my abdomen clench up. I scrunched Ram's shirt in my hand until the pain passed, then dropped back down into his chair.

"Bombshell? Bombshell, look at me. What's wrong?" asked Ram, looking almost as panicked as I felt.

"I don't know," I answered once I could talk. "It hurt." Then I doubled over in the chair as the pain came back.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit…" I heard Junior muttering. "What do we do?"

"Call Bobby," said Ram, suddenly. I nodded my agreement.

The pain was unbelievable, like menstrual cramps on steroids. I felt a small whimper escape me as a fresh bolt of pain shot across my belly.

"Shhh, Sweetheart. Bobby's on his way," said Junior trying to soothe me.

"Guys what's wrong? You just said get here as quick as possible," I heard Bobby saying.

"Bombshell," said Junior indicating me.

"Damn," Bobby swore. "I can sew a man back together in the field, but I don't know shit about this stuff. Is Ella back from getting groceries yet?"

"No, GPS still has her at the store," answered Junior.

"Bobby, it hurts," I moaned.

"I know, Sweetheart, I know," he said, rubbing my back. "We're gonna get you help."

"Ram, I want you to call the hospital and let them know we're coming. If possible, have Steph's doctor there waiting. Then call Ranger, update him, and let him know our location. Junior, I want you to help me lift her, without disturbing her. We need to get Steph downstairs and in a car."

With Rangeman efficiency, I was loaded into a Bronco and we were on our way in minutes. I was still more terrified than I think I have ever been in my life, but at least the pain had receded a bit. That's a good thing right? I just hoped with the way Junior was driving, we didn't get pulled over before we got to the hospital. With my luck, Picky would be out with his ticket book today…

We made it to the hospital without incident, and walking into the ER, I saw Dr. Cooper waiting with a wheel chair. The guys settled me into it and Bobby wheeled me to the elevator and to Dr. Cooper's examining room so quickly she was jogging to keep up.

Just as he was lifting me onto the examining table, another wave of pain grabbed me and I willed myself not to cry out. It wasn't quite as sharp as the last few, but my muscles were sore and I was scared, so I clung to Bobby's arm before he could let me go.

"Hey, Steph," Dr. Cooper said, prying me off of Bobby. "Let's get you checked out, okay? Can you describe what you're feeling?"

I did, and she just started doing that nodding thing that doctors do. Not yet satisfied, but not looking too worried, she waited for the wave of pain to pass, before throwing Bobby and Junior out and giving me a gown to change into so she could examine me. For once, I didn't complain as I took it and changed. She was just about to get started when the door to her examining room burst open.

Ranger walked in, followed by Dr. Cooper's receptionist, saying "Sir! Sir, you can't be back here! Dr. Cooper, I'm very sorry, he wouldn't wait."

"Ranger!" I gasped. Logically, I knew there was nothing he could do to help, but that didn't stop the wave of relief that washed through me at the sight of him.

"It's alright, Liz, he's with Ms. Plum," she said, before getting back to the business of examining me.

She poked, prodded and listened, while I clutched Ranger's hand for dear life. I was so terrified of loosing the baby, I felt silent tears streaming down my face. Ranger noticed, and was carefully wiping them off, when Dr. Cooper looked up from my belly.

"Well, everything looks fine," she announced, before noticing the tears on my face. "Is the pain back?" she asked, concerned again.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Is the baby okay?"

"As far as I can tell, you were just having false labor and everything is fine. I'm going to run an ultrasound just to be on the safe side, okay?"

I just nodded, unable to do anything else at this point and she left to get what she would need for the ultrasound. While we waited, Ranger cradled me against his side and smoothed my hair.

"You had me worried, Babe," he said softly.

"I had me worried, too," I agreed.

Just then, Dr. Copper returned and before I knew it, the cold gel was all over my belly again. She did her thing with the wand and just like that, the baby was up on the screen. I almost forgot why I was here when I noticed how much it had grown since my last ultrasound three weeks ago.

"Everything looks fine on the inside too, Steph," Dr. Cooper said, looking at the screen and still moving the wand on my belly. "The baby is completely healthy; unfortunately, it still doesn't want us to know if it's a boy or girl."

"That's alright," I replied, still on a high at finding out the baby was fine.

"But what was wrong?" asked Ranger. Trust him not to get distracted.

"Nothing is 'wrong,' so there is nothing to worry about," she soothed Ranger. "Steph you had what's known as false labor or Braxton-Hicks Contractions. They start sometime around the 6th week and are the uterus' way of getting in shape for labor. Some women never feel them. They can become more pronounced with dehydration, and that's what I believe happened with you. I want you to go home, get some fluids in yourself, and make sure you stay hydrated."

"Is there anything else?" I asked.

"Not really. You may feel them again, even if you get plenty of fluids, but they should be milder. I want you to call me if you feel any as strong as this set was. Other than that, there's not much you can do for it."

"Thank you for getting this all straightened out," I said, relieved, but not looking forward to this false labor thing.

"Oh, it's no problem at all, although if you're really feeling grateful you could introduce me to the guy that wheeled you in," she said, blushing a bit.

"Bobby?" I asked.

"I'll go get him while you get dressed, Babe," said Ranger, causing me to nearly crick my neck as I jerked my head to look at him. He is not the match-making, Cupid type.

"He's our medic, Babe. I wanted him to talk to Dr. Cooper anyway, so he'd know what to do in case something else was to happen."

"Oh," I said. That made sense, I though, as I grabbed my clothes and headed off to get changed.

Once changed, I made my way back to the examining room and found Ranger and Junior standing by as Bobby and Dr. Cooper talked medical stuff… and they were making goo-goo eyes at each other. Walking over to join Ranger and Junior, I glanced up at Ranger and wondered if that was how we looked at each other.

"Even worse," Junior said, doing the ESP thing and teasing me.

Deciding not to reply, I whacked him in the abs, but I'm not sure if he felt it. Turning back to the medical babble, I noticed Bobby's ears were a faint pink. He probably wasn't appreciating the audience, I decided.

"Dr. Cooper?" I interrupted. "Should I reschedule the appointment I had for later this week?"

"Yes, that would be a good idea," she replied. "Why don't you make another in two or three weeks."

"Alright," I said, taking Ranger's hand and grabbing Junior by the back of the shirt.

"Why'd I have to leave? It was just getting good," laughed Junior, earning himself another whack to the abs.

"Go. Sit," said Ranger, pointing to the waiting room chairs.

"Fine," Junior grumbled. "I never get to have any fun."

Shaking my head, I took Ranger's hand and we made our way over to the receptionist's window. I needed to make my new appointment and Ranger wanted to apologize for storming the examining room.

By the time we were done, Bobby had joined Junior and was being teased mercilessly.

"So?" Ranger and I asked at the same time, but I don't think we were worried about the same thing.

"I'm prepared for a multitude of situations, Boss," Bobby reported as we made our way to the elevator. "It seems most problems should be addressed by a trip to the hospital, but at all costs Steph should be kept calm." Ranger just nodded.

"Hey," I protested. "You're going to address Ranger's 'So?,' but not mine?"

"Dr. Cooper and I are getting together this weekend so she can give me a refresher on delivering a baby, just in case we wouldn't be able to get you to a hospital."

I really didn't like the sound of that no hospital thing. That was where Adalia said you get all the nice drugs so it doesn't hurt as much. False labor hurt, so real labor probably hurt even more…

"No, no, no," Junior's protests interrupted me. "You are going to ask the nice doctor out on a date. You will date, like a normal couple. There will be no evasive shit. Those two," pointing at Ranger and me, "were bad enough."

"Were we really that bad?" I asked.

"Yes!" Bobby and Junior chorused.

"Huh," was the only response I had. And I thought it only irritated me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"How's your belly feel, Babe?" Ranger asked later that night as we lay in bed.

"No contractions," I assured him. "But the muscles are a bit tight."

Without a word, Ranger sat up and started massaging all around my baby bump. It was a strange sensation, having him carefully rubbing the muscles and feeling the baby kicking in response. He worked his way from my belly to massage up and down the sides of my abdomen where the muscles were also sore. "Roll on your side, Babe," he finally said as he started rubbing my back.

"Thank you," I said when he was done as I snuggled myself back into his arms.

"Babe," was all he said, placing a kiss in my hair.

We sat like that silently, for awhile, just enjoying the feeling of one another. I smiled, taking pleasure in the sensation of the baby flipping all over the place. I'd been so terrified it would go away forever this afternoon.

"Hey, Babe," Ranger said, pulling me from my musing.

"Hmmm?"

"Can I to talk to you about something."

"Sure. Is everything alright?" I asked, slightly worried.

"Yeah, Babe, everything's fine. I got a call this afternoon from Eva."

"What'd she want?" I asked scowling. I really didn't like his ex, just from the things I'd heard about her.

"She informed me she's leaving on her annual cruise in a few weeks. Usually she just left Isa with her nanny, rather than let me have the time with her, but last fall, Eva decided nine was too old for a nanny..."

"Ranger," I interrupted. "Are you trying to ask if your daughter can come visit?"

"Yeah, Babe," he said, sounding relieved.

"Ranger, that's not something you need to ask! She's your daughter and you hardly ever get to see her!"

"Babe, this is something that will affect you as well," he protested. "We'd have to move to the Batcave full time and she'll be with us for a month."

"I would love to have Isa with us," I said, turning my head and placing a kiss on his chest.

"Really, Babe?" he asked smiling a 2000 Watt smile.

"Really," I assured him. Then I had a thought.

"Ranger, what about school?"

"School?"

"It's the middle of the school year."

"Oh, yeah. Eva had Isa enrolled in a private school that has three, three month terms and three one month breaks. The cruise is during spring break."

"You mean she leaves every year for one of Isa's breaks?" I asked incredulous.

"Yeah, she would usually let me have Isa for a week during that time. That's when most of the vacation pictures you saw were from."

"Eva sucks," I decided.

Ranger just chuckled and tucked me more firmly into his side.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Please Review!! I love hearing what you have to say and getting feedback! Thank you so much for reading :)


	20. Chapter 19

_I don't own them, JE does. I'm not making any money… Please enjoy!_

CHAPTER 19

Isa was arriving today. Ranger left about half an hour ago to pick her up from the airport and I was a nervous wreck. I'd decided not to go with him, thinking it would be better to let him have the time with her, but now I was wishing I'd gone.

We had moved into the Batcave last week, and it had taken some getting used to since, I'd only spent a few weekends here. We were all settled in though, and I was now flitting around, trying to find something to straighten up or some way to diffuse my nervous energy.

"Bombshell," yelled Tank from where he was sitting on the couch with Lester playing Playstation.

"Yes," I asked, hoping they needed something so I'd have something to do.

"Sit. She's a nine year old girl. A sweet, little nine year old girl. There is nothing to be nervous about."

"Maybe not for you, she likes you. You're not the one dating her Daddy. What if she doesn't like me."

"Bombshell," Lester interrupted my rant. "Everything is going to be fine."

"Thanks for trying to help guys. Are you sure you don't want anything? Popcorn, beer?"

"Bomber, sit down. This nervous pacing thing isn't helping the baby," said Bobby from a chair where he was reading a catalog with different camo patterns on the front.

"You've been dating an obstetrician for two weeks and suddenly you're an expert," joked Lester.

"I have actually learned a lot from Emma," stated Bobby, making a show of going back to reading his catalog.

"A hundred says he's completely whipped within the month," Tank said to Lester without taking his eyes from game on the screen.

"You're on," Lester laughed.

"You're both assholes," said Bobby.

Squished between Tank and Lester on the couch, I'd been distracted by the guys' banter. That ended when I heard a car on the driveway.

"They're here," I squeaked.

"Bombshell, calm down," Tank said, grabbing my hips and preventing me from jumping up off the couch.

"Tank," I pleaded, leaning my head on his shoulder. "I don't think I can do this."

"Do what, Babe?" I heard from behind me.

Finally allowed up, I turned to find Ranger standing in the doorway. And peeking around him curiously was Isa. She was so neat, with her hair pulled back into a perfect braid and her nice little jumpsuit, I found myself feeling very intimidated by her. She just stared at me for a minute before darting around Ranger and attacking the Merry Men with hugs and kisses. Ranger just came and wrapped me in his arms and waited for her to calm down from the excitement of seeing her 'uncles.'

"Isa," Ranger said, once she was through. "I'd like you to meet Stephanie Plum. Babe, this is Isabella."

"Ms. Plum," she said coolly, holding her hand out to me.

"You can call me Steph, Isa," I said gently, taking her hand.

She just looked at me for a long moment before turning to look at Ranger. "Daddy, can I play with Uncle Tank and Uncle Lester before dinner?"

"Sure, Sweetie," Ranger said, looking confused. "Steph and I are going to go start getting dinner around. You can come help if you want."

Taking my hand Ranger led me to the kitchen. There was no 'Ella' for the Batcave so we had to do our own cooking, which meant Ranger had to cook unless we wanted spaghetti or scrambled eggs every day… Sitting on a stool, I watched him take things out of the fridge and cupboards before finally speaking.

"I don't think she likes me," I said softly.

"She'll warm up to you, Babe. It's only ever been me and the guys when she's visited. She doesn't know what to make of you."

"Alright," I conceded. "Can I do anything to help?"

"Not really. I'm just making stir fry since there's so many of us tonight. It shouldn't take long."

He was right about it not taking long, because twenty minutes later, we were all sitting at the table enjoying dinner. Isa hadn't come to help and now she was chatting away to Ranger and the guys and making a point of ignoring me. Not letting it bother me, I figured Ranger was right and she just wasn't used to sharing him. I needed to giver her time to get used to the idea of me being here.

After dinner, Ranger and the guys were cleaning up and they'd sent Isa and I back out into the sitting room. I was sitting on the couch, rubbing my belly and feeling the baby playing football with my organs while Isa was wandering around the room, probably checking out things that had changed since her last visit.

"Steph, was it?" she asked suddenly, coming up in front of me.

"Yes," I replied, wondering what she was up to.

"We need to have a little chat. You need to stop playing with my daddy and go away now."

What the Hell? "What are you talking about Isa?" I asked.

"I know what you're doing. I've seen my mom do it a million times. You find a rich guy and leech off of him for a couple of months then get tired of him and go find yourself someone else. And don't think just 'cause you have his baby he'll let you trap him. I'm proof of that."

Before I could respond, the Merry Men walked into the room followed by Ranger. Seeing them, Isa ran over to Ranger and wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Daddy, can I go to bed?" she asked, letting out a massive yawn. "I'm sleepy from the flight."

"Sure, Sweetie. Go get ready, and I'll be up in a bit to tuck you in." With that she flounced off up the stairs and I was left wondering what to do.

"What's up with Isa?" Tank asked, taking the problem out of my hands. "That girl's never tired."

"I have no idea," said Ranger. "Steph?"

"Ummmm," I replied, unsure what to say.

"Steph, I can tell something's up. If you tell me, I can fix it."

"I'm not sure if you can," I said. "She just needs to get used to me like you said, but not because she's not used to women being around. It seems she's aware that her mother's a gold digger and thinks that's all I am."

"Shit," said Ranger. "Damn, Eva. How can the courts think I'm a worse influence than she is?"

"I have no idea," I said, wrapping my arms around him. "Oh, and another thing… I'm pretty sure she thinks the baby's yours."

"You'd think she'd be excited," said Lester. "Getting to be a big sister."

"Not if she thinks I'm no better than her mother and just trying to trap her daddy," I reasoned.

"Good point," he said.

"I'm gonna go tuck her in and try talking to her," said Ranger. "At least clear up the baby thing…"

"Good luck man," said Bobby. "We're heading out."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow," Ranger replied, heading up the stairs.

The guys all pulled me in for a hug, all muttering something along the lines of 'it'll be alright.' I believed them, I just had to be patient, but I'd just really wanted her to like me.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later that week, the situation was no better and Ranger was starting to look a little frantic, if that's possible. Since our little chat, Isa hadn't spoken to me other than what was absolutely necessary. The guys and Ella had all vouched for my character, but she refused point blank to accept that I honestly loved Ranger. She did seem to recognize that he loves me, though, which made her seem even more determined to drive me away.

During the day, it wasn't so bad. In the morning, the three of us would ride to Rangeman together, Ranger and I would go about our day and so would Isa. Generally this meant spending as much time in Ranger's office as possible and if he wasn't around, hanging out with the guys. Technically she was in the care of Ella, but Isa preferred to be with her dad and uncles.

Just watching her, I could tell she really was a sweet kid and I hated the effect her mother had had on her that she was so suspicious of me. She hadn't budged a bit where I was concerned, in fact I think she had gotten worse once she knew that Ranger wasn't the baby's father.

I was kind of nervous about tonight, because it was the first night that Ranger had to work and Isa and I would be heading back to the Batcave alone. The guys had all offered to come and hang out, but I'd declined their offers, thinking maybe some time alone could help me get through to Isa.

We were getting ready to head home at the same time Ranger and his team were heading out for their takedown. Ranger grabbed me and kissed the shell of my ear, checking one last time that we'd be okay, before pulling Isa into a hug and telling her to behave.

"Don't get shot," I said, softly.

"Don't get too crazy, Babe," he replied, and then went to boost Isa into the Bronco.

We made the trip in near silence,

All the way home, Isa didn't say a word, despite my multiple attempts at conversation. Once we reached the Batcave, she jumped out of the Bronco and headed straight for her room. I was at a loss as to what to do. Her avoiding me wasn't going to help our relationship, and I'd really hoped we'd make some headway tonight. Unsure as to what to do, I paced around a bit, then dropped onto the couch and stared at the blank TV screen.

Then I had an idea. I'd ask her if she wanted to watch a movie. That wouldn't be threatening and she wouldn't have to talk to me. That in mind, I hurried upstairs and knocked on her door.

"Isa?"

"What?"

"I kinda feel like watching a movie. Do you want to watch with me?"

"No. Go away."

Heading back downstairs, I decided to regroup and come up with a new plan. Obviously, friendly wasn't working.

"Okay, Baby, help me out," I said, placing my hands on my belly. "Now would be a good time to inspire me with some motherly instincts. No? I didn't think so."

Sighing, I flopped on the couch and stated at the ceiling for maybe half and hour and was no better off than when I started. I was just thinking I'd go up and ask if she was hungry and wanted a snack, when my cell rang.

"Hello," I answered.

"Steph," Tank said from the other end. His voice sounded tighter than normal, and I immediately felt waves of panic course through me.

"What's wrong?"

"Ranger's been shot."

"What? Is he alright? Where is he? Can I talk to him?" The questions flew out of my mouth with my voice getting squeakier with each one.

"Steph, Sweetheart, calm down. He's in pretty bad shape, the ambulance just left with him for St. Francis."

"I'll be there as quickly as I can."

"No. You're too upset to drive. Lester is on his way to pick up you and Isa now."

"Oh, God, Isa," I gasped. I'd have to tell her about Ranger.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I have to get to the hospital now, Steph. I'll see you girls shortly."

"If you can, please tell Ranger I love him," I said.

"I will, Sweetheart."

And he disconnected. I knew Lester would be here soon, so I had to go tell Isa. Dragging myself up the stairs, I knocked on her door.

"I said, go away," she shouted once again.

"Isa," I called through the door. "Please open up, there's a problem."

"What?" she asked swinging the door open and staring belligerently at me until she saw the tears streaming down my face.

"Your dad's been shot."

"Daddy," she whimpered.

I couldn't do anything but nod and pull her to me. Amazingly, she let me, and even wrapped her own arms around my waist.

"Is he…" she started, but couldn't finish the sentence. I didn't know what she meant to say, but figured I'd tell her what I knew.

"An ambulance took him to the hospital and Lester's on his way to pick us up."

"Okay," she said, nodding against my belly, before whispering, "Steph, I'm scared."

"So am I, Isa. Let's go downstairs and wait for Uncle Lester, okay?"

"Uh huh," she agreed, releasing my waist, but taking hold of my hand. I was surprised, but comforted, I think we both needed to hold on to someone right now.

Down in the living room, we sat on the couch and I held her wrapped in my arms. I could feel tears streaming down my face, but was trying to control them for Isa's sake. She wasn't doing much better, letting out an occasional sniffle.

Hearing a car, I tried to jump off the couch but started to over-balance when Isa surprised me by helping me steady myself.

"You've been having trouble with that," she said, offering me a watery smile.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Thank you. Let's go."

With a nod we were heading for the door. We met Lester on the porch and he just turned around and helped us into the Bronco.

"How is he?" I asked once we were on our way.

"He's in surgery already. He took a bullet to the chest and another to the shoulder. The one to the chest went clean through and shouldn't be a problem, but the one to the shoulder is lodged in the bone. It's going to take a lot of time and work to get it out."

"He'll be okay?" Isa and I asked at the same time.

"He should be," Lester assured us.

"Tank sounded worried," I accused.

"There was a lot of blood," Lester said, almost to himself.

"Oh," I let out, not really wanting to hear any more details.

Suddenly, we were pulling up to the hospital and we found Bobby waiting to lead Isa and I to the waiting room while Lester parked the car.

"Anything?" I asked, looking up at Bobby.

"He's still in surgery. Should be for another couple hours at least. Come on, I'll take you girls up to the waiting room."

"Thanks, Bobby," I said.

In the waiting room, we found Tank pacing, crossing the room in a few long strides only to turn around and do it again. When we entered, he stopped to wrap us both in a tight hug and settle us on a couch before resuming his pacing. We knew Ranger would be okay, but that didn't make the waiting any easier. I felt more silent tears, streaming down my face, I really just wanted to see him with my own eye and see that he was alright.

Feeling a hand on my arm, I jumped. Tank had sat Isa on the same couch as me, but she had scooted right up to my side.

"You really do love my Daddy, don't you?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yeah, Sweetie, I do," I said, trying to force a smile.

"I'm sorry I was mean," she whispered, turning her head away from me.

"Hey, look at me," I said. "You were just trying to look out for him; you were reacting to the situation with what you know. I promise you, I'm not like your mother. What do you say we put all that bad stuff behind us? We'll surprise your Daddy when he wakes up by being good friends, how's that sound?"

"Good," she sniffled. "You'd still be my friend?"

"Hey, everybody makes mistakes," I said, pulling her to me.

"Thanks Steph," she said, snuggling into me.

We stayed like that until we both drifted off to sleep. I woke up some time later to find Tank putting a balled up jacket behind my head and Bobby draping another jacket over Isa and I.

"Hey, Bomber," Tank whispered, seeing I was awake.

"How's Ranger," I asked.

"He just came out of surgery. He's fine, still unconscious, but once they have him settled in his room, you and Isa can go sit with him."

"Thanks, Tank," I said, knowing he must have pulled some stings for Isa and I to be able to be in Ranger's room. Ranger shouldn't have been allowed to have visitors yet, but I knew that he's want us there.

"Okay, thank you," I said, before releasing a yawn.

"Go back to sleep, Bomber. I'll wake you when you can go see him."

"Mkay," I murmured, already half asleep again.

The next time I woke, it was to Lester gently shaking my shoulder.

"Hey, Darling," he said, when I opened my eyes. "Ranger's all set in his room. He shouldn't wake up for a few hours, but do you want to go sit with him?"

"Yeah," I answered, trying to sit up before realizing I was pinned by Isa.

"You two look like you're getting along better," he said, grinning at me.

"We've come to an understanding. We're going to be friends."

"Finally," he said with an exasperated tone before scooping Isa off of me. "Come on. I'll show you where Ranger's room is."

Getting up off the couch, I followed him out of the waiting room and down a hall. I immediately knew which room was Ranger's when I saw two Rangemen sitting guard outside. With a nod from Lester, the one on the right stood and opened the door.

The room was dark, and filled with the beeping noised commonly associated with hospitals. By the faint glow in the room, I could see Ranger lying on the bed with the sheet pulled up to his waist. His chest was bare except for two large gauze bandages.

Crossing the room to the bed, I found that a large armchair had been pulled up to the bed. I figured it was the work of one of the Merry Men, so I turned to Lester. He just nodded at me in a way that said 'sit down already' so I settled myself in.

"You got room for one more?" Lester asked, once I was comfy.

"Yeah," I said, scooting a bit, so he had room to settle Isa in beside me.

Giving us both a kiss on the forehead he left us alone. I pulled a blanked from the back of the chair and covered Isa and I, before reaching out and picking up Ranger's hand from where it lay on top of the sheet. Entwining my fingers with his I wrapped my other arm around Isa and let the steady beep beep beep of the heart monitor lull me to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter. I love getting feed back! Please Review!!!!


	21. Chapter 20

_I still don't own them, so I'm not making any money… I hope you enjoy!_

CHAPTER 20

Yesterday Ranger and I had both had doctors' appointments. It was two and a half weeks since Ranger had been shot, and he'd been cleared for light office work, but the doctor had been very explicit that Ranger was not to over exert himself. Isa, who had appointed herself his nurse, promised that she would make sure he was careful.

After his check up, the three of us went to see Dr. Cooper. I'm 30 weeks pregnant and feel as big as a house, but have been assured by everyone from my mother and Val to Ella that I'm just gonna keep getting bigger, so I've just come to accept it.

During my appointment, I had another ultrasound and Isa loved seeing the baby. Since we'd had our chat, we'd gotten along great and she had become fascinated with my pregnancy. In her nursing of Ranger, she would often send me to rest with him and loved nothing better than to play nurse to both of us. She would bring Ranger glasses of water and his pain killers and me bowls of carrots and peanut butter… what? I'm pregnant!

While running the ultrasound wand over my belly, Dr. Cooper explained that the baby's eyes were developed and it would respond to light. She brought out a small flashlight, handed it to Isa and had her direct it at my abdomen so we could all watch as the baby reacted to the light. It was truly fascinating and Isa was delighted that she got to help. I just looked at Ranger and smiled, it looks like he has a little doctor on his hands.

While Ranger had been cleared to start working, I had been told to start taking it easy. My Braxton-Hicks contractions had been acting up and Dr. Cooper told me that I should try working less. Ranger had taken that to heart and told me I was only allowed to come to the office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Today was a Thursday and it was Ranger's first day back to work and my first day off. Isa and I had been lounging around the Batcave when we decided to throw Ranger a little congratulations party when he got home. That meant we had to go shopping. It hadn't taken long for us to realize that Isa loves to shop as much as I do and she had become my adept little fashion pupil… no more nice, neat jump suits for her, I was going to turn her into a Jersey Girl.

"Can you think of anything else?" I asked Isa after two hours of shopping. We had gotten stuff to make dinner for Ranger and had only been slightly distracted by the clothing outlet next to the market. I was really hoping she couldn't think of anything else. This pregnancy thing really cut down on my shopping endurance and my feet were killing me.

"Nope, lets go home and get everything ready for when Daddy get back."

"Alright," I agreed.

As we were heading out of the store, a man and woman were heading in and the man stepped to hold the door for Isa and me. Looking up to thank him, I suddenly caught my breath. I was looking into the chocolate brown eyes of Joe Morelli. The woman, I could only assume to be his wife, Jenn. The fact that she was just about as pregnant as I was, was a big give away.

"Joe!" I gasped surprised.

"Stephanie," he said, equally shocked to see me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting," he answered, not thinking. His eyes were directed at my enlarged stomach. "You are pregnant."

"No shit, Sherlock. With those powers of deduction you should be a detective," I bit out.

"Steph," he said in plaintive voice. "I had no idea."

"I called you and told you, remember?"

"Joe?" spoke up Jenn for the first time.

"Hi," I said, not giving Joe time to respond. "I'm Steph, the ex."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand. Huh, perfect Burg manners… She probably really was just right for Joe.

Joe didn't seem to be noticing our little exchange, but was looking between Jenn and my enlarged stomachs. I wasn't sure I liked the look he was giving my belly, so I decided to beat a hasty retreat.

"Well, Joe, it was nice seeing you. Jenn, it was nice to meet you. I'm sure we won't be seeing each other around."

"No, no we won't," said, Joe shaking his head and seeming to wake up.

Thinking that was a good place to leave it, I took Isa's hand and headed for the parking lot. I was still trying to figure out what just happened when I saw Isa giving me a questioning look.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"That was Joe Morelli. He's the baby's father."

"And who was that lady? She was pregnant too."

"That's his wife, Jenn."

"His wife?"

"Yeah, Sweetie, it's complicated," I said. How do you explain this to a nine year old? "Joe and I were sort of together and I got pregnant then he met Jenn. We broke up and Jenn got pregnant. They were getting married before I knew about the baby."

"So if he hadn't picked her, you wouldn't be with Daddy?" asked Isa looking sad.

"Yeah, I'd still be with your Daddy. Even before I knew I was pregnant I knew I didn't want anything to do with Joe any more."

"Okay," she said relaxing. If only the rest of the world were as accepting as kids, I thought.

"Now let's get home and get everything ready for tonight."

"Do you think we're going to surprise him?"

"I don't know, Sweetie, but there has to be a first time for everything," I said, laughing a little. I would bet anything Ranger knew we'd gone out, thanks to the GPS. I was just surprised I hadn't gotten called yet about not resting.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later that night, Isa and I were giggling as we finished cleaning up the kitchen. After two hours, we managed to make the Orange-Ginger Salmon from a recipe that claimed it would take about twenty minutes. After our first screw up, we'd brought out the back-up salmon and called Ella to coach us through the cooking. With her on speaker phone, we'd managed to get everything ready. Now we were just waiting for Ranger to get home.

"He's here!" Isa exclaimed suddenly, and sure enough I heard a car door slam moments later.

Bouncing as she waited for me, we made our way to the door to greet him.

"How was your day?" I asked as he entered the foyer.

"Did you have a good day Daddy?" asked Isa at the same time.

"Yes, Isa, I had a good day, but it was exhausting, Babe," he said, answering us both.

"Why don't you come to the kitchen and we can have dinner, then you can go relax," Isa said, almost bursting with our surprise.

"I don't know what I have the energy to cook tonight, girls," Ranger said.

"Don't worry Daddy, Steph and I cooked."

"Babe?" Ranger asked. I didn't cook and Isa had about the same potential in the kitchen as I did.

"Don't worry, it's fine."

"Alright," he said, allowing Isa to take his hand and lead him to the kitchen, smiling when he saw the CONGRATULATIONS banner Isa and I had picked out.

She seated him at the table, then herded me into a chair beside him. I didn't know what she was up to until she got the salmon platter from the oven where it was keeping warm and brought it to the table. Looks like she was going to play waitress. I let her do her thing since I was just happy to be off my feet. She brought the salad then a large pitcher of water to fill our glasses then sat herself on the other side of Ranger.

We all filled our plates, but Isa and I waited for Ranger to take the first bite.

"Delicious," he said, once he'd swallowed. Then he leaned to the left and right, giving both of us a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, girls. This is a nice surprise."

"We almost did it all by ourselves," Isa told him, beaming.

"Almost?" he asked.

"It took two tries and a little encouragement from Ella," I told him.

"Ella didn't leave the building today," Ranger said, looking confused.

"She just told us what to do," Isa informed him. "We did all the cooking."

After dinner, Isa sent Ranger off to bed and we cleaned up the kitchen. Once we were done, I wasn't ready to go to bed, so I asked Isa if she wanted to watch a movie. She agreed, but only if she could pick the movie, so I sent her into the living room to get it started.

Entering the room to join her, I saw the Disney Castle up on the screen. That girl loves her Disney movies and is determined to have me fully up to date on all of them before the baby is born. Knowing there was nothing I could do about it, I joined her on the couch. Tonight she had chosen Bambi II. It really was a cute movie and several parts had me laughing right along with her.

Once it was over, we both sat up and Isa turned and fixed me with a serious stare. It was the same one Ranger had given me from time to time and I knew she had something important to say.

"Steph?" she started.

"Yeah, Sweetheart," I said, to let her know I was listening.

"Are you and Daddy going to get married?"

Wow. Wasn't ready for that one, I thought. Well, better be honest.

"I don't know. Maybe someday."

"Oh," was all she said, looking a little sad.

"Isa, what's wrong?"

"If you and Daddy got married, you could be my Mommy," she said softly, before adding, "if you wanted to."

"Of course I would want to, but you already have a Mommy, Sweetie."

"No, I have a mother who sends me away to school and dresses me up then ignores me. You're already a way better Mommy than she is."

"Oh, Sweetheart, thank you," I said with tears in my eyes as I pulled her into a hug. I loved this little girl and I hated that in a week and a half Ranger and I would have to send her back to Eva.

"And, if you were my Mommy, the baby could be my little brother or sister," she whispered, feeling the baby kicking from where she was settled against my belly.

"No matter if Daddy and I ever get married, you can still be the baby's big sister. How's that sound?"

"You mean it?" she asked. "Mom said I'd always be an only child 'cause she had an operation so she wouldn't have more kids and no one would be crazy enough to have kids with Daddy."

"I mean it and I think you're going to make a great big sister," I told her, hugging her to me even tighter.

"I wish I could live here with you and Daddy and the baby," she whispered, almost as if she wanted it so badly she was afraid to say it.

"I know, Sweetie," was all I could say as I softly stroked her hair.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next thing I knew, it was morning and Ranger was gently shaking me awake. It seems Isa and I had fallen asleep together on the couch. Trying to move, I realized she had me pinned, so I waited for Ranger to gently lift her and resettle her once I was free.

"You going to work today, Babe?" Ranger asked softly.

"Yeah," I answered, stretching up to catch his lips with mine. "How about you?"

"Yeah, me too," he said. "Why don't you go get ready and I'll start getting Isa around. She'll be excited, she hasn't been to Rangeman for awhile."

I wanted to tell him about the talk Isa and I had had the night before, but I wasn't sure how to bring it up. Dismissing it for the moment, I gave Ranger another soft kiss and headed for the bathroom.

While I was buttoning up my Rangeman maternity pants, Ranger came and slipped his arms around me from behind, causing me to jump.

"Make some noise, would you?" I teased. I knew nothing would stop him from sneaking up on me when he could.

"Isa just told me something interesting," he said.

"Yeah?" I asked, wondering what of our talk she'd shared with him.

"Seems she's very excited about being a big sister."

"Probably I should have talked to you about that first," I said, not sure if Ranger was upset. I couldn't tell anything from his voice and he was still wrapped around me from behind.

"Babe," he said. "That was your decision to make. I wanted to thank you for making her so happy."

"Ranger, we're going to be together for awhile, right?" I asked, mentally crossing my fingers and hoping he's say yes.

"I was thinking along the lines of forever," he said, tightening his arms a bit.

"Me too," I agreed. "So she would have been the baby's big sister anyway."

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "But now it's more official to her. She's not just my daughter that will see the baby when she visits."

"I understand," I told him, relaxing against his chest. I had to admit I was a bit relieved Isa hadn't told Ranger about the rest of our conversation. I had no idea if he ever wanted to get married or if he'd even thought about it.

"Thanks, Babe," Ranger said, interrupting my thoughts. "Are you about ready to go?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay, I'll go make sure Isa's ready then," he said, turning me for a surprise bone-melting kiss and exiting the room before it had stopped spinning.

A few minutes later we were on our way to work. Once there, I smiled thinking of how things had changed in the last few weeks. When Isa had first arrived, she'd stayed in Ranger's office as much as possible, or had been with Tank, Lester or Bobby. Now, she flitted from my cubicle to Ranger's office and made side trips to harass all of the guys. They all adored her though…

Right now, I was printing search results and Isa was running back and forth between the printer and my desk to pick them up. She was glad to have a job and I was glad to get to stay in my chair. It was a win-win situation.

After lunch, I was feeling really tired, so I decided to head up to the 7th floor apartment for a nap. I figured since Ranger had had a rough day yesterday, I'd invite him too. He was still supposed to be taking it easy, anyway. I could tell he was tired just by looking at him and he confirmed it by agreeing to nap with me. We headed upstairs and Isa tucked us both in with a kiss to each of our foreheads, then she flitted off to find Tank.

We woke up later that afternoon to Isa kneeling by my head and gently shaking both Ranger and I.

"Daddy, Steph, you have to get up. It's almost time to go home," she was saying.

"Mkay," I mumbled, snuggling my head into Ranger's chest.

"Steph!" she said. "Stop going back to sleep."

"There's not much you can do for it," Ranger chuckled, his voice vibrating against my cheek.

"Hey," I protested without moving.

"Come on, Babe. Let's head home," Ranger said, sitting us both up.

"Mmmm, we slept all afternoon didn't we?" I asked, finally prying my eyes open.

"Yeay, Babe," Ranger laughed. "You're a bad influence on me. Before you, I would have just kept on working and slept when I got home."

"But that wouldn't be any fun," stated Isa.

"No. No it wouldn't," Ranger agreed.

With that, we all got off the bed were headed out. We made a quick stop in the control room so Ranger could check that everything was under control, and then we were on our way home. The Batcave was home, I thought to myself, smiling. Who would have ever thought it?

With that, I thought back to my visit to the office the other day. Lula still couldn't believe that I was living in the Batcave and had finally learned where it is. She also couldn't believe that I wouldn't tell her. Oh well, at least she had given up trying to shock me into telling her what it was like to be with Ranger. Now she was trying to get the location of the Batcave.

"Babe, I smell rubber," said Ranger as he put the Bronco in park.

"Probably you should go easy on the brakes then," I teased.

"Babe."

With that, we all headed into the house and before we knew it, Isa was back outside to enjoy the warm April weather. It had just gotten warm enough over the last few days for our little Miami girl to be able to go outside.

We were standing at the window watching her and Ranger had us in his favorite position with my back to his front and out hands tangled under my belly. For the last couple minutes, he had been playing idly with my fingers, so it took me a minute to realize he slipped something on my ring finger. Startled, I tried to lift my hand to look, but he held onto it until I turned my head to look at him.

"Marry me," he whispered, lifting my hand to his mouth.

"What?" I gasped.

"Marry me, Babe."

"Is this because of this morning and the stuff Isa said?"

"Not really. I had the ring, but I was going to wait until the baby was born to ask you. Then this morning, you said forever worked for you too, so I figured there was no point in waiting. But, you are going to agree to marry me, right?" Ranger said, with the last bit coming out slightly nervous.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," I told him, turning and kissing him with each 'yes.'

"You said yes without looking at the ring, Babe," he told me once I was done kissing him.

"Don't care," I said and started in on the kissing again. Then I figured I probably should take a look at the ring I'd be wearing forever. "Ranger, it's gorgeous!" I gasped. It was a flawless sapphire, emerald cut and set into a thin platinum band. It was beautiful without being flashy or outrageous. It was perfect.

"I'm glad you like it," Ranger said, pulling me in for another kiss.

"You two kiss a lot," we heard from behind us.

"We love each other, Sweetie," said Ranger, wrapping his arms around me.

That caused Isa to give an eyeroll that would have made any Burg girl proud. Obviously she could tell. Thinking back to last night, I crooked a finger of my right hand at her. Once she was about a foot away, I held my left hand in front of her face.

"Really?" she squeeled.

"Really!" I replied.

"I'm missing something," said Ranger.

"I'm just happy, Daddy. You and Steph are getting married and we can be like a real family!" With that, she wrapped her arms as far around the two of us as they would go and squeezed us tight.

We decided to just keep it to the three of us for a few days and we'd go and tell the guys, the girls, my family and Ranger's family on Sunday. Once we told them, they'd spread the news like wildfire. Today and tomorrow we would just enjoy it, and then let the insanity begin.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Okay, let me know what you think. I love feedback, so Please Review! Thank you to everyone who's been reading… just a few more chapters to go.


	22. Chapter 21

_Thank you all for reading!_

_They're still not mine and I'm not making any money…_

CHAPTER 21

Today's the day I'd been dreading, the day Isa had to go home. Ranger, the guys and I took her to the airport and I have no idea how Ranger had the heart to put her on the plane after seeing the tears that were streaming down her face. She'd hugged and kissed all of us. I'd nearly broken into tears myself when she kissed my belly, and then whispered 'I love you Steph, I'm going to miss you' into my ear.

"I can't keep doing this," Ranger said into my hair from his position behind me as we watched her plane climb into the sky.

"I don't know how you do it at all," I whispered, too afraid my voice wouldn't work if I tried to talk.

"I'm going to talk to my lawyers tomorrow and get their opinions on suing for custody again. I'm done with all my government work; maybe something will be different this time."

"Do that," I agreed. "And could I talk to one of your lawyers too?"

"Of course, Babe. What's up?" he said, sounding puzzeled.

"Can I tell you on the way home?" I asked. Home was still the Batcave. We'd grown to like living there and decided to stay. The commute to the office was only about fifteen minutes and it was more comfortable than the 7th floor.

"Yeah, Babe," he agreed. "Let's get going. Standing around here isn't doing us any good."

With one last look at the tiny plane, we made our way out to the parking deck, followed by the guys. I swear I could hear the airport security sighing in relief as we left. I wonder if I could convince Ranger to add some color to the Rangeman wardrobe. Then people would realize they're the good guys.

In the parking garage, Ranger helped me up into the Bronco and I released a resigned sigh. We had discovered last week that I couldn't get in and out of Ranger's sporty cars without assistance any more and the bucket seats just weren't a comfortable fit.

"So, Babe, what'd you want to talk to a lawyer about?" Ranger asked once he'd joined me in the Bronco.

"Umm, Isa and I ran into Joe and his wife the other day,"

"And," prompted Ranger, visibly trying to relax the sudden tightness in his jaw.

"And he was looking at my belly funny once he realized I really was pregnant. I want to find out more about custody rights and stuff… just in case."

"Do you think he's going to cause trouble, Babe?" asked Ranger, concerned now.

"Not yet. I just want to see if there's anything I can do now that can prevent him making trouble at some point in the future."

"Good thinking, Babe. Do you want me to have paperwork started that can have him give over complete custody to you? All he'd have to do is sign."

"You can do that?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't expected anything that easy.

"Custody is easy, Babe, as long as you can get the other person to agree." Hmm, that could be the hard part if Joe went all stubborn.

"Can you have the paperwork done?"

"Yeah, and I'll have them send it to him as soon as possible."

"Thank you," I whispered, leaning over to kiss his neck.

"Babe," Ranger, growled. "Not a smart thing to do while I'm driving."

"Oops," I giggled, sitting back into my seat.

After that, Ranger went into his driving zone and I thought of how easy the legal stuff I'd worried about was. I didn't think Morelli would refuse to sign. He seemed to be really happy in his relationship with Jenn and she probably wouldn't want him fighting for his ex's kid. Also, I would bet Mrs. Morelli and Grandma Bella would press him to stay away just to keep me away from Joe.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A week later, Ranger's Super Lawyers had gotten my paper work through, sent it to Joe and he'd actually signed with little difficulty. I now had complete, permanent, undisputable custody of my baby. I was incredibly relieved not to have to worry about that, especially considering his reaction to receiving the papers.

I had gotten an irate phone call from him the other day, demanding the meaning of 'this.'

Before I could stop myself, I asked "And what would 'this' be?" Probably, I shouldn't be baiting him.

"Paperwork on the transfer of custody of the child you're carrying into your sole custody."

"Yeah, that," I said, wondering how he was taking it. He didn't sound particularly mad. I could definitely recognize that tone.

"Why did you have it sent to me?" he asked.

Okay, now I'm confused. "So you can sign."

"Shouldn't Manoso be doing that?"

Still confused. "Ranger?"

"Yeah, it's no secret you moved in with him days after we ended things."

He still doesn't want to admit he fathered my child, I thought, fuming. Taking a deep breath, I willed myself to calm down. Getting angry and starting a fight would not help me out here.

"If you're convinced it's not yours then there's no harm signing the papers," I said, hoping he'd just sign.

"Fine," he said, and I could hear the scratching of a pen in the background. "But when you have that kid, and see that it's Manoso's, I want this paperwork retracted."

"Sure, Joe," I said, seeing there was no point in arguing further. I'd gotten what I wanted. "I'll let you know when the baby's born." Then I hung up.

The paper work had arrived at Ranger's lawyer's office a few days later signed and initialed in all the appropriate places.

Ranger, on the other hand, was not as happy with his legal efforts. It seems his lawyers still didn't think he had a good enough case to get custody of Isa. At best, they thought they could get him more visitation. Right now, his visitation was completely at Eva's discretion, which was definitely not a good thing.

We were lounging on the couch one night and Ranger was telling me about this latest update from his legal team. He was just about to have the lawyers to go with what they had, thinking that seeing Isa on a regular basis would be better than what he had now, when I had an idea.

"Let's get married," I blurted.

"Babe, I asked and you agreed, remember? That's why you have that ring on your finger."

"Yeah, but let's get married soon, like before the baby's born," I said, getting excited now.

"Babe?" Ranger asked, clearly not seeing where I was going with this.

"If you're married, it will increase your chances of getting custody, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, but Babe, we can't get married just to help me get custody. We can sue for custody again once we're married."

"But why wait. Marriage is the result of engagement and we're not going to change our minds, so why draw it out? Why put Isa through everything twice? Also, I'll want the baby to be Manoso, not Plum, so if we get married before it's born, we won't have to worry about changing it," I argued.

I could tell Ranger was thinking it through. That's one of the things I love about him, he'll always give an idea consideration. I knew just when he'd accepted the idea, because the almost smile lifted the corners of his mouth and grew as he continued thinking.

"Okay, Babe, let's get married," he finally said. "When do you want to do this and how?"

"How about in three weeks?" I said after a minute of thinking. "That's four weeks from my due date, so we should be safe there. That's also enough time for your lawyers to get everything organized and for us to arrange a wedding. I think I want it to be a surprise."

"A surprise? You want to elope?"

"No, everyone was too excited when we told them we were engaged. I couldn't do that. Let's invite people and have them think it's an engagement party or some sort of get-together and have it be the wedding."

"Alright. Where?"

"I don't know. I did the church thing before and it was just too formal, but I really don't want to be married by a justice of the peace. And my mom would never stop ironing, yours wouldn't like it either."

"Yeah," Ranger agreed. "They'd never forgive us. It'll have to be a priest, but I don't want it in a church either. Three weeks is the middle of May, so it'll be warm. Do you want to have it on the beach?"

"The beach?" I asked, considering the idea.

"The beach," Ranger confirmed, "right before sunset."

"I love it," I said, pressing my lips to his.

"Okay, so three weeks from now, we have a date on the beach. Who else are we inviting?"

"My wedding to the Dick was massive and I hated it. The entire Burg was there watching."

"Eva insisted on over 300 guests, and I didn't like the huge wedding either. So we want to go small."

"Yeah. How about immediate family and close friends?"

"Sounds great, Babe," Ranger said, kissing my nose. "And people say planning a wedding is hard. We just did it in fifteen minutes."

"We're not normal," I said giggling and kissing him back.

"No, we're not," he agreed.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next day, Ranger and I bought invitations and sent them out. They only asked that the receiver join us on the evening of May 17 at 7 PM at the Sea Breeze Inn. We decided to tell anyone who asked that we were celebrating our engagement and treating them to dinner. And we did order a reception dinner for after the service.

After that, we made arrangements with a local priest to do the service. He didn't know either of our mothers, so we figured he was safe and couldn't let it slip. Also, he loved the idea of a surprise wedding and promised not to tell a soul. The important stuff done, all that was left was a dress. We agreed that we'd go to New York to pick one out the day before the wedding since there was no telling how much I'd expand between now and then.

With all of that out of the way, I thought I was experiencing nervous energy, but Bobby said it was the nesting effect. He was still getting all his info from Dr. Cooper, or I guess she was just Emma now that she was hanging around and had been to dinner and such.

Apparently, this energy was supposed to be put into getting ready for the baby. That's when I realized I was in no way prepared to bring a baby to the house. I didn't have any 'baby stuff' yet or even have a nursery picked out. Needless to say, I panicked a bit, but Ranger came to the rescue like always.

We picked the room next to ours as the nursery. The guys came one day and painted it in shades of greens and blues. I have to admit, I was nervous since they wouldn't let me help because of the paint fumes and they wouldn't tell me what they were doing. The end result was really nice and relaxing though, and I loved it.

Right now, I was sitting in my new rocking chair, cuddling a giant teddy bear Ranger had bought, while watching Tank and Lester attempt to assemble the crib.

"This piece is obviously a spare," declared Tank after they'd tried it from every angle they could come up with.

"I didn't even think of that," said Lester, apparently agreeing. Probably I should be worried.

"Do you guys want the directions?" I asked sweetly, holding the paper out to them.

"I can disarm nuclear warheads, that means I can put a crib together without problem," growled Lester.

I just laughed as they continued to swear at the pieces.

Half an hour later, Tank broke down and took the directions I was still holding. After that, it took then no time at all to put the crib together with no pieces to spare. I resisted an 'I told you so' but had to leave the room when they started on the changing table and tossed the directions on the floor without looking at them.

Heading for the kitchen, I met Bobby as he came in through the front door. He was carrying yet another stuffed animal. At the rate the guys were going, I was going to have a plush zoo.

"Bobby, you guys have got to stop," I protested as he gave me the animal and a kiss on the cheek.

"Aw, Bombshell, it's not all the time we get to be uncles again," he protested.

Knowing there was no way I was going to win, I just shook my head.

"Where are the guys?" he asked.

"Ranger is in the security room, hooking up baby monitoring surveillance gear and Lester and Tank are upstairs fighting a changing table."

"Fighting?"

"Uh huh," I said, nodding.

"I think I'll go help Ranger then…" Bobby said, heading for the security room. That was probably a good choice.

Letting the guys do their things, I got my snack then headed for the room beside the nursery. That was where we were keeping all the 'baby stuff' until the nursery was finished. Mary Lou had taken me shopping for all of the necessities the other day and I was astounded by the amount of stuff she had thrown in my cart. I didn't even know what half of it was.

Being the queen of denial, I was putting off worrying about what to do with most of it for now. Now I was folding baby clothes and putting them in the cute dresser the guys had built yesterday. I'm pretty sure that the baby had more clothes than I did and that was just from the unisex stuff everyone was buying. I laughed as I folded a pair of tiny black cargo pants that the guys had found and the little black t-shirts they had to go with them. They wouldn't fit the baby for awhile, but I didn't need to tell the guys that. I'm pretty sure they knew less about babies than I did. I just liked picturing them shopping for baby stuff.

You'd think they'd be embarrassed or uncomfortable baby shopping, but they weren't. Every time they showed up to the house they had some new toy or stuffed animal or outfit. It was adorable.

Once done with the clothes, I found the book on 'You and Your Baby' I had thrown in the cart yesterday. Sighing, I figured it was probably time to find out how to take care of a baby. Somehow I figured it was going to be a bit more complex than being a hamster mommy…

Twenty minutes later, I was in tears, dialing Ella.

"I can't do it," I sobbed into the phone, as soon as she answered.

"Steph? What's wrong dear?"

"I can't take care of a baby. I'm reading a book, trying to learn what to do and I can't learn it before the baby gets here."

"Now, Dear, calm down. Most of that book is probably nonsense if you ask me. I'll come over, if you want and teach you the basics of baby care and the rest you can pick up once you have the baby. They're not as breakable as you think."

"Basics?" I sniffed, calming down a bit.

"Yes. Diapering, burping, how to support the head, mixing a bottle… And anything else think up."

"Please," I said, suddenly relieved.

"Alright. I'll be there in about half an hour," Ella responded, sounding amused.

Once we hung up, I put the evil, fear-inspiring book in the bottom drawer of the dresser so I wouldn't have to look at it again. Hearing a rather loud curse from next door, I went downstairs to wait on Ella. It didn't sound like the guys were having a good time with the changing table.

Ella showed up right on time and the first thing she did was commandeer one of the baby-sized stuffed animals the guys had brought. Using it as a model, she taught me how to do up a diaper, made me practice holding it and burping it. Then we went into the kitchen and she whipped out a can of formula mix and had me make a bottle. Once I mastered that, she made me do it holding the stuffed animal in one arm and bouncing it like a fussing baby. That was tricky. After that, we went through all of the stuff Mare had thrown in my cart and Ella told me what it all was and what to do with it. By the time Ella left, I felt confident in what she taught me and like I really could learn how to do this.

"Feeling better Babe?" Ranger asked, coming up behind me and startling me. I'd been practicing holding the stuffed animal's head and felt a little silly.

"Uh yeah," I responded.

"Show me," Ranger said, nodding at the stuffed animal.

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"Show me how to hold the baby," he said.

Still confused, I picked up the stuffed animal and supported it's head and rocked it a bit. After watching for a minute, Ranger took it from my arms and did just what I did.

"Good, Babe?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, suddenly understanding that he had wanted to learn some of the stuff Ella showed me. "How'd you miss baby holding 101 with Isa and all your brother and sisters kids?"

"I was out of the country while Isa was a baby, and I missed it with the kids the same way you missed it with your nieces."

"Oh," I said, not really paying attention as he held the stuffed animal. He looked good like that. He looked good pretty much all the time, I amended. Damn pregnancy hormones, I thought as I felt myself getting all hot.

"Babe," he said, lifting his head and seeing the look in my eyes.

Before I knew it, he'd put the stuffed animal down and pulled me to him. As soon as he sealed his lips to mine and I was lost. But there was something niggling at the back of my mind…

"Ranger the guys," I said, pulling my lips from his.

"Left before Ella," he replied, pulling my mouth back to his.

Oh boy.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Let me know what you think, I love feedback, so Please Review! Hope the scene with Joe lived up to expectation. I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't want him to decided he wanted in the baby's life because I couldn't see Steph completely denying him if he was sincere and I didn't think Joe would just ignore the whole situation. Sorry about the rambling, I was in quite a conundrum… Oh well, tell me what you thought. Thanks for reading!

P.S. Sorry if the custody thing is blatantly wrong, I just made that up, I have no idea if it would really work like that.


	23. Chapter 22

_I still don't own anything, I'm not making any money. Thank you all for reading!_

CHAPTER 22

This was it. Wedding day. It was 5:32 in the morning, and I'd been staring at the digital clock for twenty seven minutes now. I'd woken up to the cocktail of belly cramps, heartburn, and my bladder near explosion … sort of like the morning of my last wedding. Last time it had been because I was nervous as Hell and had had way too much to drink the night before. This time, there were no nerves, only excitement, and the discomfort was from being a little shy of eight months pregnant.

Normally, when I woke up like this, Ranger would help me out of bed and to the bathroom. Then he would fetch me something to settle my tummy while I took care of Mother Nature. Finally, he would rub my back or belly or whatever was achy until I was able to sleep again. I love that man.

But, me being the idiot that I am, decided that we couldn't sleep together the night before our wedding. Now, I was seriously regretting that decision.

"Babe?" I heard in a whisper as the door opened a crack.

"Yeah, Ranger?" I answered, wondering what he was up to. Probably checking on me on his way for his run.

"Am I allowed to see you today?"

"Yeah, just not in my wedding dress."

"I already saw your dress on you," Ranger stated confused.

"I know, but that was yesterday and I was your fiancé in the dress. You're not allowed to see your _bride_ in the dress. That's today."

"Okay," Ranger said, accepting my weird rules with a shake of his head. Then he entered the room.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Just wanted to see how you were feeling."

"Kinda yucky."

"Poor Babe," he said, raising his hand to offer the crackers and antacid tablets I hadn't noticed.

Once I took then, he sat himself behind me to prop me up. I tried to sleep sitting up to prevent the heartburn, but I always just shifted down, so I gave up. With his arms wrapped around me, Ranger slowly massaged my belly where the baby had spent the night kicking me. Have I said I love this man?

"I love you," I told him, just in case he forgot.

"I love you too, Babe," he said, not breaking the gentle massaging motion.

"We're getting married today," I whispered.

"Yeah. We are," he agreed. "Nervous?"

"Nope. You?"

"Just happy," he said.

"Gooo-oo-ood," I said, through a massive yawn.

After that, we were silent and Ranger continued rubbing my belly, then moving to massage up and down the sides of my abdomen. The last thing I remember is him shifting his magical hands to rub my sore back, and then I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I found myself still sitting, without heartburn and more relaxed than I had been for nearly a month. Squirming a little, I realized I was still propped against Ranger and he was still holding me upright. From the way his arms were laying, completely relaxed across the top of my belly, I could tell that he was sleeping too. This could not be nearly as comfortable for him as it was for me. I was not one of those lucky women that stayed small while they were pregnant. I'd gotten entirely sick of the question 'Oh, are you having twins?'

"Babe?" Ranger said in a sleepy voice.

"Happy Wedding Day," I said.

"Happy Wedding Day," he agreed, kissing my neck and making me go all gooey inside.

"Ranger," I moaned. "This was the reason you were supposed to stay far, far away from my bed on Pre-Wedding Night and Wedding Day." It turns out Mazur hormones and pregnancy hormones are not a good combinations in me… And it's been getting worse as I get more and more pregnant. Luckily, Ranger doesn't seem to mind.

"Sorry, Babe, I just can't help it," he said, giving my ear a little nip then easing himself out from behind me. Once free, he helped me up from the bed.

"I still don't understand that. I'm massive," I complained.

"Babe," was all Ranger said, letting his eyes go all chocolaty.

"Stop it with the eyes," I demanded, feeling my hormones start whirring.

"Sorry, Babe," he said, snapping back to normal. "We slept late. How about I fix breakfast and then you can start getting ready or you can come with me to pick up Isa?"

"I'll come with you," I said. "It shouldn't take me long to get ready."

I was really excited about seeing Isa. She was one of the four people we had told about the wedding and she was beyond ecstatic when she heard. The other people that knew were Eva, so she'd let us have Isa, Tank and Mare. Tank was going to be Ranger's best man and Mare was my maid of honor. I wasn't worried about Tank spilling our secret. He never said much anyway and had enough practice with all the confidential government stuff. Mare on the other hand, I hadn't told until last night so she didn't have much time to be tempted to gossip and I threatened her with Ranger who she was still a bit afraid of

Once we finished with breakfast, we headed for the airport and were now at the terminal, me sitting and Ranger standing and watching for Isa. I was watching Ranger's face for some indication that he saw her, when I saw the blank face slam down. I had gotten used to Ranger relaxing around me, so I got worried and tried to stand. Before I succeeded though, I saw Isa hurrying towards us, followed by a tall, skinny, perfectly groomed woman I could only assume to be Eva.

"Daddy!" Isa exclaimed as she launched herself at Ranger. After squeezing him as tightly as possible for a minute, she directed her attention to me.

She untangled herself from Ranger and tried to wrap me in a hug, but her little arms just wouldn't reach.

"I missed you so much. And you got a lot bigger," she stated.

"Isa," Ranger stage whispered while running his hand in front of his neck in a 'stop' motion. "That's a bit of a sore subject."

"Oh," she said, giving me an apologetic look.

"Ric?" said Eva, speaking up for the first time and running her eyes across my huge belly. "You seem to have forgotten to mention something."

"No, I didn't. Babe, this is Eva. Eva, this is my fiancé Steph."

"She's pregnant," Eva said, completely ignoring me.

"And right here," I snapped, annoyed by her behavior.

"Of course, how could anyone miss you?" she said sweetly.

"Enough," interrupted Ranger. "Eva, it was a pleasure as always. We'll have Isa back to you by tomorrow evening as promised. Goodbye."

With that, he took Isa's hand with one of his and wrapped the other arm around my back for support as he steered us towards the luggage rack. Once we'd grabbed Isa's bag we headed for the car and were on our way home.

"Can I help you get ready?" Isa asked excitedly, leaning forward from her seat in the back.

"Sure, Sweetheart, I need all the help I can get these days."

"Are you really close to having the baby? Do you think maybe you'll have it before I have to go home tomorrow?"

"I still have a few more weeks to go. We'll try to get you up here as soon as possible once it's born," I said, still unable to believe how close I was.

When we got home, it was a little past noon, so we all had lunch, then I decided to start getting ready. Isa was all excited to help, but first I wanted to take a nice bath and I needed Ranger's help for that. Getting in and out of a tub, even the Batcave's wonderful Jacuzzi tub, was very tricky while massively pregnant.

Once soaking, my mind started to wander towards this evening. It was only when my cheeks started to hurt that I realized I'd been smiling the whole time I was thinking. Sighing with happiness, I let my mind turn off and listened to the soft music I had playing and watched the candles flickering.

"Babe?" I heard near my ear. "Babe, wake up."

"Mmm, no."

"Babe, you need to get out of the tub. You're all pruney. You don't like to be pruney."

That's when I came all the way awake, I realized I was still sitting in the tub and the water had gone cold. I let Ranger help me up, then gave him a kiss before asking something important of him.

"Ranger, do you love me?"

"Of course, Babe," he said, looking concerned. Oops.

"Will you shave my legs?" I asked, quickly.

"Babe?"

"I can't reach and I don't want to get married with hairy legs."

"Only you," he said leaning in to kiss my nose and taking the razor I was offering him.

I'd never had someone else shave my legs and I must say, it was rather nice. And Ranger was very good at it. When we were done, I didn't have any nicks or razor burn, and he even rubbed my favorite lotion into my legs.

"Thank you," I whispered when he was done as I leaned in to kiss him.

We were getting more into the kiss than I would have liked, but I was quickly going beyond the point of caring. Then Ranger pulled away laughing. I didn't see anything funny, so I planted my hands on my hips and glared at him.

"The baby kicked me," he said.

The baby had been so active lately, I didn't always notice when it started moving, but sure enough I could see a little foot causing periodic bumps on my belly and felt another jabbing my ribs.

"Guess he wants you to get out," I laughed.

"So it's a he today?"

"Uh huh," I said. We still didn't know the sex, and I amused Ranger by changing my mind on what it was on a nearly daily basis. "Now out."

"Do you want me to send Isa up?"

"Umm, what time is it?" I asked.

"Two."

"Not yet then. I'm still tired, so I'll take a short nap then start getting around. What time do we need to leave?"

"Around 5:30. It takes an hour to get there and we'll have to go through a quick rehearsal with the priest, Tank and Mary Lou before anyone starts to arrive."

"Okay. Can you send Isa up in about an hour and a half?" I asked as I crossed to the bed.

"Sure, Babe," Ranger told me, tucking me in.

"Thanks," I yawned.

I never heard Ranger leave the room, I was out that fast. These days I was taking Ella's advice, to sleep when I was tired, very seriously. It didn't take me long to learn that if I didn't sleep, I quickly passed from tired to exhausted.

"Steph," I heard with soft taps to my shoulder.

"Mmmm," I said, acknowledging that I was alive.

"Steph, you need to get up. We have to leave in two hours for the wedding."

"Wedding Day," I mumbled, still not moving.

"Sweetheart," I heard Ranger say from somewhere near the door. "You have a lot to learn about getting her out of bed."

"Happy Wedding Day," I said, not opening my eyes.

"You too, Babe. Are you going to get out of bed so we can get married?"

"We can't just do it here?"

"Nope. Sorry, Babe."

"Fine," I said, finally rolling and attempting to sit. I probably wouldn't be so reluctant to get up, if it wasn't so freaking hard. I'm not sure what excuse I'll use when I'm done being pregnant…

Ranger helped me from the bed, then left Isa and I to do our thing. I didn't really have that much to do, just a manicure and pedicure and, hair and makeup. I was going to wait until right before the wedding to get into my dress, so I could stay in my nice comfy sweats. Since there was no rush, Isa and I just hung out. I painted my nails then hers, and then let her do our toes, since I couldn't exactly reach my feet.

I'd kept my hair wrapped in a towel since my bath, so it was still damp. For my wedding to the Dick, I booked an appointment and spent a fortune and half a life time getting my curls tamed into a gorgeous twist. Today, I was just adding gel and letting it curl. It was going to get blown all over the place by the breeze on the beach anyway and I knew from how Ranger has always touched my hair that he loves my curls.

Once Isa and I were done blow-drying my hair on low heat, to prevent frizz, it looked amazing, falling in shiny curls just below my shoulders.

Then, Isa decided she wanted curls for the wedding, but she had Ranger's thick, slightly wavy hair. I had way more practice at fighting curl than I did at causing it, but I gelled her hair and put it in hot rollers hoping that would work.

While we waited on her hair, I did my make-up and put a little on Isa. I wasn't sure how much Ranger would approve, but she wanted to feel grown up today, and some make-up wouldn't hurt

"Are you girls ready?" Ranger asked without looking into the room as I was finishing Isa's hair. I guess he thought the 'not allowed to see the bride' part of the day had started. I wonder how he was planning on making the car trip.

"Just about done," I answered. We were all made up, we just had to get my dress and the sun-dress Isa was wearing so we could change when we got there.

"Alright, I'll be in the kitchen."

Ten minutes later we were all loaded into the car and we were on our way. Ranger held my hand the entire trip, and I could tell he wasn't anywhere near his normal zone. He had a smile on his face and kept taking his eyes off the road to glance at me. Neither of us said much on the way to the beach, but Isa kept up an excited chatter for nearly the entire hour.

The quick rehearsal went by in a blur and before I knew it, Mare was helping me into my dress as I watched confused guests being seated by Tank in the rows of chairs we'd had placed on the beach.

"You look beautiful," Mare said, once I was dressed and veiled and the whole nine yards.

Since it had been even warmer than normal for May, I had picked a light gauzy dress in a soft cream color. It was sleeveless, with a princess cut waistline. From there, it fluttered loosely over my belly and to my knees. None of the full length maternity dresses looked right and they just wouldn't have been practical with the sand…

"Thanks," I replied not taking my eyes from the scene before me.

While I watched, I saw Ranger appear and search out my parents. He was talking to my dad and I saw him pointing to the Inn. We had agreed not to tell anyone what was going on, but I wanted my dad to give me away, so Ranger told him I wanted to talk to him inside.

"Pumpkin?" I heard moments later.

"Hey, Daddy," I said, causing him to turn to my voice. His eyes went wide when he saw me.

"Are you…?" he started.

"Yeah, we're getting married."

"Congratulations," he said pulling me into a hug. "You know, your mother's going to kill you, right?"

"I'm carrying her grandchild. I figure I have a few weeks and by then she'll be over it."

"That's my girl," laughed dad.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, Pumpkin?"

"Will you give me away in a minute?"

"Sure," he said, pressing a kiss to my hair.

When he stepped out of my line of sight, I saw that Ranger and Tank had taken their places in front of our guests along with the priest. I could hear the buzzing of chatter from inside, but with the first strains of music it died down.

"That's my cue," said Mare, giving me one last hug before stepping outside and beginning her walk.

Once she was in front of the crowd, the wedding march started and everyone stood. I felt a giant smile split my face as Dad and I stepped out the door and started towards the aisle.

"It feels right this time," he whispered to me as we got close. "You'll be happy."

"Yeah," I agreed, not capable of more speech..

I'd met Ranger's eyes and felt incapable of blinking, let alone breaking the stare. I knew he was wearing loose black trousers, a grey shirt and black suit jacket, and I'm sure he looked amazing, but it was lost on me. Unable to break eye contact, I knew he was smiling from the way his eyes were shining and the slight crinkles to the edges.

Then suddenly, Dad was presenting me to the priest and Ranger and I was holding Ranger's hand. The priest began to speak, but I couldn't really make out any words. Soon, Ranger was speaking his vows to me, and I felt myself smiling even more. Somehow, I responded in the right places and before I knew it Ranger was leaning his face in to mine. Then our lips met and the rest of the world disappeared for a moment or an hour, I'm not sure.

We were actually married.

After the kiss, we turned to face our families and friends and face the music. Our mothers were seated on opposite sides of the front row and both stood when we got even with them. They were both wiping their eyes and neither looked mad, so I took that as a good sign.

"Congratulations, Baby," said my mom, making the first move as she wrapped me in a hug.

Gloria did the same to Ranger, then they switched. Mom welcoming Ranger to our family and Gloria welcoming me to hers. After that, mass chaos erupted and everyone was speaking at once, wanting to know all the details.

"QUIET!" boomed Tank.

"Thanks, man," said Ranger, still grinning. "We're having a reception dinner at the Inn and we would appreciate it if everyone would join us."

With that, he took my hand and led the way to the inn, letting everyone else follow or not.

Everyone's shock must have worn off eventually, because they all joined us in the dining room. While we waited for dinner to be served, Ranger and I 'explained ourselves' and everyone eventually forgave us for not telling them.

After dinner, Ranger and I sat back and watched as our families mingled and got to know one another. I cuddled into him as we watched Val and Mare chatting with his sisters and our mothers off at a table talking. Probably we should be a bit concerned about that, but not right now.

I smiled as I saw Grandma approaching the Merry Men and them scattering. The best, was seeing Isa playing with Mary Alice and Angie. She fell right in between their ages, and I had hoped they would click.

Taking my eyes from the crowd, I snuggled myself further into Ranger's chest and felt him wrap his other arm around me.

"We're married," I whispered.

"Yeah," he agreed in a whisper. "Pretty amazing, huh?"

"Definitely," I said. It seemed like a whole lifetime ago when his life didn't lend itself to relationships and I had no desire to ever get married or have children. Then I was struck by an epiphany. "We grew up."

"Yeah, Babe. We did," Ranger said, kissing me softly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: I love your feedback, so Please Review! I had so many ideas bouncing around my head for the wedding… let me know what you thought.


	24. Chapter 23

_I don't own them, and I'm not making any money… I hope you enjoy._

CHAPTER 23

"Time to go, Babe," Ranger said, coming around the couch to stand in front me.

"Help?" I asked, holding out my hands and giving him a big, blue-eyed stare.

"Anything for my wife," Ranger said with a smile, as he pulled me off the couch.

We'd been married a full three weeks yesterday and we were still both insanely happy. We were hoping today would only add to it, but we were trying not to get our hopes up. Isa's custody hearing was this afternoon, and I was a nervous wreck. I could tell Ranger was too, but on the surface he was still wearing a calm, cool mask. God, please let him get custody, I prayed. He wanted it so much.

The ride to the courthouse was silent, the only concession to Ranger's zone being my hand held firmly in his. After a lot of legal wrangling, he had gotten the case to be debated in Trenton since I wouldn't be able to take the flight to Florida. The judge had also agreed to interview Isa in private so she wouldn't have to give any testimony, or be subjected to more than absolutely necessary.

Despite my nerves, I thought we had a good chance. Ranger's lawyers were some of the best in the state and they had been working on putting his case together for nearly seven weeks, since we had told them to factor in Ranger married and a father to my child. That, combined with Eva's near negligence and him being completely out of the military should tip the scales.

"Here we go, Babe," Ranger told me, pulling into the courthouse.

"We have nothing to worry about," I said as much to myself as to Ranger. "The judge is bound to see we can provide a better family atmosphere than Eva."

"God, I hope so," Ranger said, helping me out of the car.

I was having more trouble moving around than usual the last few days. The baby seemed to be sitting lower in my belly and had nearly stopped moving. The stillness had frightened me until I'd called Ella crying and she'd reminded me it was probably getting a little crowded in there. I was due in a week and the baby was probably looking forward to getting out.

Entering the courthouse, the bailiff searched both Ranger and I. It took quite a while to search Ranger, because even thought he really wanted to be family material, it just wasn't safe for him to go around without his two guns and a knife. Eventually, we made it through, bereft of all weapons and small metal objects.

From there, we made our way to the courtroom where the custody debate would be taking place. Once everyone was assembled, the proceedings were started and the lawyers began to debate.

Many, many, many hours later… Okay, it was more like three, but it felt like much more, the lawyers were still debating. I was leaning on Ranger's shoulder, not sure how much longer I could stay awake. I'd had tons of energy this morning, now nothing. Eva, had hardly said a word, allowing her lawyers to pretty much run the show. She had spent the entirety of the afternoon shooting Ranger dirty looks and I was pretty sure it looks could kill, I'd be dead.

Thankfully, the judge was just about as enthralled with the lawyers' debates as I was and called for closing debate. Half an hour later, he closed himself off, to come up with a verdict.

When he reemerged, Ranger gently poked me awake and the bailiff went in search of Eva who had wandered off, not wanting to bless Ranger and I with her presence. Once everyone was present and accounted for, the judge sat down to tell us his decision.

"I have decided to award full custody to Mr. Ricardo Manoso. Based on the testimonies of all parties involved, particularly Miss Isabella Manoso, as well as the present circumstances of both parents, I believe it will be best for Isabella to live with her father.

"Ms. Eva Garcia, will be awarded visitation. She will have full access to Isabella two weekends each month, but due to distance and Isabella's age, only one monthly visit may be conducted in Florida."

With that, the judge rapped his gavel and Eva and I let out simultaneous screams. I believe hers was from rage, while mine was the sudden, searing pain in my abdomen.

"Babe?" Ranger asked, worry written clearly across his face as my scream died down.

"I think that was real labor," I gasped, reeling from the pain.

"Mrs. Manoso, are you alright?" asked the judge.

"Yes, fine," I responded once I caught my breath. The pain had only lasted about half a minute, but it was half a minute of the most intense pain I had ever experienced.

"Do you think you need to go to the hospital, or do you want to go home for a bit?" Ranger asked, nodding towards his lawyers for them to take care of anything further.

"Home," I said. I knew you could often wait hours for the contractions to get close enough for delivery, and I really didn't feel like spending that time in a hospital. I'd have Ranger call Emma once we got home though, just in case.

"Alright," Ranger said, and then whipped out his cell phone. "I'm calling Tank and having him call the guys and Emma. Do you want him to call Ella or your parents?"

"Umm, just Ella, please. I'd feel better with her there with us. I'm not sure if I'm up to my mom. Can we just let everyone else know when we leave for the hospital?"

"Sure, Babe," he said, holding me to his side while he spoke softly to Tank. I didn't really care what he was saying; I just wanted to get home.

As if reading my mind, Ranger flipped his phone shut and ushered me outside. Helping me into the Bronco, he hurried around to the other side and had us home in no time. Once there, he helped me into one of his t-shirts, settled me in bed and began trying to make me comfortable. I just wanted to take a nap… I had a feeling I was going to need it.

"Ranger, I just want…" I started to say, when I was cut off by another contraction.

I grit my teeth, and Ranger sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand. I squeezed his wrist for all I was worth and when the pain subsided, I saw clear finger marks left from my hand.

"Thirty-six minutes since the last one," Ranger said, looking at his watch on the other wrist. "Babe, Emma said to check in again when they were ten minutes apart. What do you want to do until then?"

"Will you hold me while I nap?" I asked. I felt silly asking that, but I really wanted a nap and didn't want to be alone right now.

"Of course," Ranger said, disappearing into the closet and reappearing moments later in nothing but his black silk boxers.

When he slipped into bed, I immediately snuggled into his arms, taking comfort from the strength I felt there. He gently and rhythmically stroked up and down my back and I eventually fell asleep. I managed a twenty minute nap, before another contraction woke me. After that we fell into a pattern. Ranger would sooth me to sleep, I would sleep until the next contraction and then Ranger would hold me close until the contraction passed.

Eventually, I was barely able to get to sleep between the contractions, and I just gave up. I was getting too excited and nervous to sleep. I had been simply resting with Ranger for about two contractions, when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Ranger called out.

"How are you feeling, Dear?" asked Ella peeking her head into the room.

"Labor hurts," I said, figuring that just about summed it up.

"Do you want something to eat? You'll need your strength later."

"Please," I said. I hadn't thought of that. Probably I should fuel up while I still could.

"Alright, I'll be right up with something."

When she left, another contraction hit full force and I buried my head in Ranger's chest. I was still clutching his arm during contractions, and I was pretty sure that by the time I was through with the whole childbirth thing, I'd have left enough bruises to earn myself a trip to a third world country.

"How close?" I asked, once the contraction was over. That one had lasted nearly a minute.

"Eighteen minutes. During your last nap, Ella came in and said they should start speeding up."

Right now, I wasn't sure if that was good news or bad news.

Minutes later, Ella brought me a tray filled with various carbohydrates. She said I'd need the energy. I ate whole-wheat toast, some spaghetti and a bowl of macaroni salad with veggies.

Completely full, I rested back against Ranger once again only to jolt forward with another contraction. I had really hoped it was just a huge lie about how painful labor is, but I was quickly coming out of denial and facing the painful truth.

"Fifteen minutes, Babe," Ranger said, rubbing my back and shoulders.

I leaned back against him and listened as he talked about inconsequential things he knew would distract me. He told me everything from how he decided to found Rangeman to how he broke his arm wrecking his bike when he was seven. He knew I was fascinated with details of his life and I was extremely grateful to him for exploiting that.

Some time later, Ella checked in again and my contractions were coming about every twelve minutes, so she started bustling around the room packing a bag for me. We hadn't really done that, since I was still a week from my due date. While she packed, she chattered on about little things, and I was grateful she wasn't telling me things like 'it won't be that bad' because from my vantage point, I wouldn't believe her.

While she worked, I had a few contractions and by the time she was finishing up, Ranger announced I was having them every ten minutes. He called Emma and she said to bring me to the hospital, so off we went.

Once there, I was sent to a delivery room. The nurses told me I could stay in Ranger's t-shirt and covered my bottom half with a sheet as they checked things out.

Alone with Ranger, he held my hand and talked gently to me as the contractions got more and more frequent and more and more painful. Eventually, when they were coming about every two minutes and lasting for about two minutes when the nurse announced I was dilated to ten cm, which was apparently what they had been looking for down there.

Emma came into the room then, and did her doctor nodding thing as the nurses talked to her. I was ready to scream, I had been given something earlier for the pain, but it was wearing off.

"Can I get more drugs?" I asked as soon as Emma approached my bed.

"I'm sorry Steph. What you were given earlier, was a short lasting drug, but you progressed faster than expected. You're now past where we can safely give you anything but a mild pain killer."

"I'll take that," I said, wanting anything that would help.

The nursed injected something, but I didn't really notice any difference in my next few contractions.

While I had been focusing on the pain, I hadn't noticed that Emma had been looking under the sheet and checking things out.

"You ready to push, Steph?" she asked, lifting her head.

"You're the doctor! Am I?" I shouted. Really I didn't mean to yell, but a contraction hit and they hurt a lot by this point.

"Yes. You're ready," she said, smiling at me. Why was she smiling? This was not a time to smile.

"Okay," I said, suddenly scared. This was the part I had been really worried about.

"Push!" she yelled with the next contraction.

I pushed. I pushed really hard, and I squeezed Ranger's hand until I heard him swearing in Spanish.

"Don't you swear," I screamed. "Your hand doesn't hurt nearly enough to deserve it." I was developing a whole new outlook on pain.

The pushing seemed to go on for hours and later I learned that it did. I was crying and near exhaustion when Emma finally told me the head was beginning to crown.

"I just need a few more big pushes," she said.

"Okay," I gasped. I was passed yelling and screaming. I just didn't have the energy any more.

"Push!" she yelled once more with my next contraction.

"It was so much easier going in," I ground out, through the pain. Then I felt it. The head was coming out and it was the weirdest sensation I had ever experienced in my life.

A few more pushes and I felt the rest of the baby slide from my body. Ranger cut the cord and moments later, I heard a loud cry from across the room. My eyes filled with tears as I turned to look up at Ranger.

"You did it," he said, leaning in to kiss me.

"Yeah," I managed.

Then Emma suggested the unfathomable. She said I had to push again. I don't think she understood that there was just no more 'push' left in me. Damn, she was sounding pretty insistent. So I pushed. Again.

By the time the placenta was delivered, they had the baby all cleaned up and a nurse set it in my arms and helped me begin breastfeeding.

"A girl?" I asked, smiling, when I saw the pink blanket it was wrapped in.

"Congratulations," she said, leaving me to stare into the wide blue eyes of my daughter.

"She has your eyes," Ranger said, sitting close to me and looking at her with wonder as well.

"All babies have blue eyes," I told him. That was one of the things I learned from my baby book, but I really hoped they'd stay that color.

"I'd know those eyes anywhere," said Ranger, kissing my cheek. "They're not gonna change."

Suddenly, I felt a massive yawn rip through my exhausted body. I looked at my baby and then at Ranger. I felt so conflicted. I was fast loosing the battle with sleep, but I didn't want to leave my baby.

"I'll watch over her, Babe," Ranger said. "You get some rest and we'll be here when you wake up."

"Thank you," I said, allowing him to take her.

It wasn't until then, that I noticed that my bed and I had been cleaned up as well. I didn't question it. One last look at my man in black holding the tiny pink bundle and I drifted off to sleep.

Feeling myself float slowly back to consciousness, I wondered what had happened to me. I had never been this sore in my entire life. Opening my eyes, I recognized I was in a hospital. The next thing I noticed was that the massive bulge of my stomach was gone. I began to panic, before it all came back to me. I'd had a baby.

"Hey, Babe," I heard, from my left.

Turning my head, I saw Ranger, sitting in chair beside my bed and realized he was holding my hand. That would be all well and good, but he should have been holding a baby.

"Baby?" I asked, not ready to attempt more.

"She's doing great. More people showed up to see her than the nurses would let in the room, so they took her up to the nursery. Do you want me to send someone to get her?"

"Please," I said.

Once Ranger had called the nurse and asked her to bring my baby, he helped me get sitting up. My abs were still way too sore to manage that on my own.

"Here you are Mrs. Manoso," said a nurse, entering the room and settling the baby into my arms.

"She's so beautiful, Babe," Ranger said, once we were alone.

"Yeah," I said, looking at the sleeping baby. "Is anyone still here?" I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep or how long people would stick around after they saw her in the nursery.

"Your parents, my parents and Isa, Mary Lou, the guys, Ella and Connie and Lula are all still here."

"Can they come in here?" I asked, unsure as to the hospital's policy on that sort of thing.

"It's up to you, Babe."

"I'd like to see them. Would you go let them know?"

"Sure," Ranger said, leaning in to kiss my forehead and the baby's before disappearing.

"So, kiddo, you decide on a name yet?" I asked the sleeping baby. I hadn't really thought of names at all, since I didn't know the sex. Also, I didn't want to get attached to a name then see the baby and realize it just didn't fit. "How about we both think about it, and we'll talk later, when I'm up to flipping through books with you?"

She didn't respond at all, so I took that as an affirmative.

Moments later, Ranger reappeared, followed by quite a crowd. Everyone cooed over the baby and said how adorable she was. I had to agree. Thankfully, no one tried to hold her, since I didn't feel ready to let her go.

Twenty minutes later, Mom, Gloria Ella and Mare were chattering on and on about something to do with the baby, I had a feeling they were up to something, but I wasn't going to worry about it. Let them have their fun. Once my dad had seen the baby given us both a kiss and said 'good job Pumpkin' he had hurried out of the over-crowded room. I laughed when Manuel quickly followed his lead and then the Merry Men disappeared. Connie and Lula had followed them out. Nothing distracts those two from their ogling for long.

Isa was on the bed with me, snuggled into my side and Ranger was sitting beside us, looking more content than I had ever seen him. Smiling myself, I felt a massive yawn split my face.

Mom must have noticed, because suddenly, she, Gloria, Ella and Mare were all at my bedside saying their goodbyes.

"Congratulations, Hon," said Mare, leaning in to hug me and kiss the baby. "Let me know when you're feeling back to normal and we'll go shopping. I'll have to enjoy all the cute baby-girl clothes vicariously."

"She's absolutely precious dear," said Ella. "Don't forget to bring her around the office."

"And the house," said, Gloria. "The girls are all going to be dying to see her. Congratulations again, she's beautiful."

"She is, Stephanie," my mother said. "I'm so proud of you, Baby."

I thanked them all, managing to get the words out without a yawn. I was really fading fast.

"Let's go Isa," said Gloria. Isa had been staying with her grandparents, and would tonight too, since Ranger wouldn't leave me.

"Do I have to?" she asked, looking suddenly dejected.

Thinking back, to the little girl who had rushed into the room earlier, dying for a glimpse of her baby sister, I felt my heart clench. She had still been bouncing around, ecstatic, when Ranger had told her the other big news. He had custody. She had declared today the greatest day of her whole life. I remembered when she had been visiting and she had spoken so wistfully of us being a family, and I couldn't send her away.

"No, Sweetie, you can stay. If it's okay with Daddy and Abuela."

"Are you sure, Steph?" asked Gloria.

"Yeah," I said, smiling and holding Isa to me.

"Alright," Gloria nodded.

With that, the room cleared out, Ranger settled the baby in her bassinet, and Isa on his lap. Turning my head, so I could see all three of them, I drifted off to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A day and a half later, Ilona Manoso and I were discharged from the hospital. I had spent last night and this morning, sleeping, holding Ilona and pouring over baby name books. Isa and I had been immersed in my name search while Ranger held the baby, when Mom and Grandma showed up. Much to Mom's horror, I was getting dangerously close to picking a name at random.

It had been Grandma Mazur who came to the rescue, suggesting Ilona. It had been the name of her godmother and was a Hungarian name meaning beautiful. I'd immediately fallen in love with it and when I asked the baby if she wanted to be Ilona she gurgled at me, which I took as a yes.

Now we were all on our way home in a Bronco that had magically appeared in the parking lot, fully equipped with car seat.

At the Batcave, we settled Ilona in her crib and I stood leaning back into Ranger while Isa leaned back into me. Life was good. We stayed like that for quite awhile, eventually dispersing through the house only to be summoned back to the nursery by loud cries.

Isa looked on in fascination as Ranger and I established that Ilona was neither hungry nor wet. As far as we could tell, there was nothing the matter at all. We've got a lot to learn, I though, smiling. And I was looking forward to each and every day of it.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: Please Review and tell me what you thought. When I began this chapter, it hit me that I was going to have to describe childbirth and I had no idea how to go about that. I almost did it from Ranger's POV, but couldn't really make it work. I hope you like how it turned out! I've really enjoyed writing this, and thank you all for reading. Only the epilogue left to go, so let me know of there are any loose ends that are bugging you and I'll do my best to tie up :)

As always, sorry for any mistakes about custody and any about childbirth… I was kind of making it up as I went.


	25. Epilouge

_I don't own them, and I'm not making any money. Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I have!_

EPILOUGE

Hearing a gurgle behind me, I turned to find Ilona standing against the edge of her play-pen.

"Hey, sleepy head," I cooed. She'd been napping for the last hour, but was now looking very awake and staring at me intently.

Given that she seemed to have inherited my appetite and sleep habits, along with my eyes, I figured it was a safe bet that she'd woken up hungry. So I scooped her out of her play-pen and headed for the Rangeman break-room.

Opening the fridge, I grabbed a turkey sandwich for myself and a jar of strained peas for Ilona. The girl still loved her veggies, so did I for that matter, but not like I did while I was pregnant. No one could possibly understand my relief when I was able to eat a slice of cake a week after Ilona was born.

That had been about ten months ago.

I had stayed on maternity leave for about a month, but spending my days alone at the Batcave waiting for Isa to get home from school and Ranger to get home from work was beyond boring. There was no way I would ever make it as a house wife.

Thinking of house wives, my thoughts flicked momentarily to Morelli. I never had called him when Ilona was born, not because I was breaking my promise, but because I forgot.

Then, during one of my long days alone, I was still opening baby presents when I found one from Morelli. It also had a note. Apparently, his sister, who's a nurse at the hospital, had been on duty when I came in and had called him.

The note began by saying that he had come to see my daughter in the nursery and judging from her skin tone Ranger wasn't the father. My heart had immediately leapt into my throat, until I came to the part of the note that said he wasn't going to fight the custody paperwork he had signed. There was also a nice section where he said he was sorry for how he behaved and for how things had worked out. He ended the note by congratulating Ranger and I on the birth of our daughter and letting me know Jenn had also had a girl. I hadn't heard from him since.

About two weeks after that, Ranger had come home to find me pacing the living room like a caged animal. I had no idea what to do with myself while Ilona was sleeping. Ella was right and I got the hang of baby care pretty quickly and it didn't take me long to realize it wasn't an all consuming task.

That's when Ranger suggested I come back to work. My maternity leave wasn't over, and I didn't want to leave Ilona yet, so he suggested I bring her with me. We had set up a play-pen in my cubicle and stocked the break-room with baby supplies. It had been meant as a short term set-up, but it had stuck. All the guys loved having her there, and Ella was beyond happy to help out. So she stayed.

I had eventually gone back to training and field work, and I was amazed how easily I had gotten back into shape. I didn't forget to thank Emma over and over again, for making me keep with light exercise while I was pregnant. Speaking of Emma, Lester had won the bet with Tank. Bobby was completely whipped and head over heals in love. He was planning on proposing some time soon and was a mess of nerves; the Merry Men were loving it, especially Ranger.

Speak of the Devil, I thought, as I saw Ranger approaching my cubicle. When I had first come back to Rangeman, I still wasn't up to working full days, since Ilona and I weren't sleeping through the night, so Ranger would take Ilona and send me up to the apartment for a nap after lunch. I was done taking a daily nap, but he still liked to take Ilona to his office for a while each afternoon and I figured the time was good for them.

"How are my beautiful girls?" he asked, sticking his head through the door of my cubicle.

"Wonderful," I said, standing and kissing him.

"That's what I like to hear," he said, kissing me back, and then looking at Ilona. "What about you?"

She just gurgled at him.

"Can you say 'Yo' for Daddy?" he asked scooping her up.

According to Ella, she was as close to talking as she was to walking. We were expecting one or both any day now.

"Yo," I heard in Ilona's little voice.

"Babe! Did you hear her?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said smiling and dropping a kiss on Ilona's head. "Good job, Lon. Can you try mommy or daddy now?"

"Yo," she said again.

I just rolled my eyes. I don't know why I even bother some days. The guys had been coaching her on 'Yo' ever since Ella said she was about to start talking.

Smiling, I watched as Ranger left my cubicle with Ilona, and then I got back to work. This was actually the most productive part of my day, so I tried to take advantage of it. I worked hard until about 2:30, and then kept an eye to the elevator. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, Isa came bursting onto the floor, fresh from school.

She loved living with Ranger and I. I had convinced Ranger to enroll her in public school, rather than another private school like the one Eva had her in. She deserved a normal childhood and eventually Ranger had consented to giving it a try; Isa had adored it. She was in the class between Angie and Mary Alice, and the three of them were fast friends.

I watched as she ran across the floor, skidding to a halt at Ranger's office and running in. Without watching, I knew she was wrapping him in a hug, and then abducting Ilona. Sure enough, I saw her exit the office, holding her little sister and they started their rounds. Isa liked to go around each day and say hi to all the guys working. Once Ilona was big enough to get carted around, she got to go as well. The guys loved it.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, poking her head in so see me once she was done touring the office.

"Hey, Isa," I replied smiling. "How was your day?"

"It was great! Since it was so nice out today we got to go out for recess twice!"

"That's great, Sweetheart," I exclaimed.

"Yeah," she agreed. "And Daddy said Lona said 'Yo,' so I'm gonna go hang out in the control room and try to teach her some more social words."

"Okay, just don't bother the guys," I said, laughing as she and Ilona took off.

I got a few more searches done before being pulled away from my computer by my husband and kissed soundly. "It's time to go home," was all he said to my questioning look.

"Okay," I said, stretching to kiss his nose then logging out my computer.

I was really looking forward to tonight. I had a surprise and it was going to be great. A couple of weeks ago, Ranger and I had finally gotten around to going on our Honeymoon. We had sent the girls to stay with Ella, not wanting to play favorites with their grandmothers, then jetted off to a tropical beach somewhere. I'm still not sure where we actually went, but it was wonderful.

Then, I'd gotten sick and found myself eating Ranger's cereal, so I'd done the only rational thing and gone to Mary Lou's to pee on a couple sticks again. The results were the same as last time. I was telling Ranger and Isa tonight at dinner.

I was pretty sure Ranger knew. He hadn't said anything, but it's hard to hide morning sickness when I had to jump out of his arms in the morning to dash for the bathroom. I was also pretty sure he'd be happy, since he was always wearing a 1000 Watt smile when he asked if I was okay. Oh well, I'd pretty much given up on surprising Batman anyway. At least this time around I wouldn't be the only one off field work for a year.

Isa, on the other hand, had no clue. I had no doubt what her reaction would be. She loved being a big sister and she loved our little family. Even now, ten months after she had come to live with us, she would still look around herself at dinner some nights and just break out in a huge smile. I knew the feeling.

Yeah, life was good.

**The End**

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A/N: Wow! I can't believe I finally finished it! Please Review and let me know what you thought. I loved writing this, it's been tons of fun! Thank you all so much for reading and for all the wonderful reviews along the way!


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